Tony & Pepper
by SelenitaLunar
Summary: A series of #Pepperony one shots specially written for #PepperonyWeek18. Every one shot tells an independent story.
1. Book

_**The characters belong to Marvel/Disney (I wish I owned them) a**_ _ **nd I don't get any profit from this writing.**_

* * *

 **BOOK**

* * *

Tony came into their living room like a hurricane on his way to the kitchen. He had been in his workshop for hours adjusting some details of his new suit with FRIDAY and had just realized that he was terribly hungry. He had spent almost twelve hours without having any food, immersed in the details of the conceptual plan of his new suit of armor based on nanotechnology.

Suddenly, he noticed Pepper's presence, with her hair down, in her summer pajamas, semi-reclining on the comfortable white sofa, calm, relaxed, completely engrossed in reading a medium-sized book. Curiosity kicked in, and he took a quick look. The volume was yellowed by time and worn by the multiple readings to which it seemed to have been subjected. His precious Potts had not even noticed his presence in the room, which in his opinion was totally unfair. So he walked towards her decisively, forgetting the sandwich he wanted to make for himself. In seconds he was at her side, breathing on the back of her delicious neck and looking over Pep's shoulder at the text.

"What are you reading with such interest? You are so absorbed in that book that I almost reached the kitchen without you even noticing that I was here. You're losing your touch, Potts."

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark?" Pepper retorted amused at her fiancé antics. "The one who doesn't remember that I also live in this house, is you Tony. You're the one who dissappears now and then inside your workshop!" She narrowed her eyes, joking. "At least FRIDAY and the bots still take care of you there…"

"Not like you. You were always the best at taking care of me, Honey. No one can dispute you that Crown." He knows she's right. He's been so busy with his engineering work for the past few days. So he lowers his eyes a little, like a kid caught in the middle of mischief. "I'm sorry, Pepper." He tenderly apologizes sitting down next to her on the huge white sofa. "I'm working on something big…" Pepper's eye's widen and her small smile turns hard. "That I'll only use if it's extrictly necessary…" He quickly clarifies. "Like some sort of world ending terrible devastation, alien invasion… The like…" And then her face softens again. She loves him so much it hurts sometimes. "And the time flies when you have purpose..."

"Okay, okay… I understand that you like it in there… It's your jam, trust me I know. But now, come here with me." Pepper makes room at her side for him to cuddle with her and starts reading again, his hot skin feels so nice against hers. Tony stays quiet for awhile, letting her read her book in peace, until he misses her attention and speaks again.

"So… What's the name of the great book, huh?"

Pepper smiles at him and shows him the cover of the volume.

"It's _Pride and Prejudice_ by Jane Austen. One of my favorite books. When I'm stressed I love to re-read it. The old language helps me forget everything and relax. I love getting lost in its pages."

In a quick move, her fiancé snatches it from her hands and looks at it carefully: cover, back cover, pages... As if it were the intrincated circuitry of some of his creations.

"It's just one of those cheesy love books, isn't it?" He asks finally, once he finished his scrutiny, raising his right eyebrow ostensibly. "Potts I didn't thought you were so corny". And smiles broadley. Tony loves to tease her and punch all her buttons now that he knows her so well. One of the highlights of his life is bantering with his beloved fiancé at every ocassion he has. The spice of life, so to speak. It's only appropiate he nicknamed her Pepper. He was smater than ever that day, he thinks, amused.

"It's much more than that!" Instantly answers the redhead bewildered, almost offended by his affirmation. "It's the story of a family. And of an intelligent, rebellious and pioneering young woman in an era in which women were very limited by society. Elizabeth Bennett is one of the most interesting characters in universal literature."

Tony nods, satisfied with himself, and more for the pleasure of annoying her than for anything else, adds:

"Yeah, all that… But I think… Well there is that man too. The guy the super spirited heroine falls in love with… That Mr. Perfect every woman who reads it dreams to marry…"

Pepper laughs hard at the hint of jealousy she caught in his words. Only Tony would be jealous of a literary character. She looks into his eyes, ready to counterattack.

"Have you even read it?"

"What? No! It's girl stuff."

"Girl stuff? Right…" Pepper arches her eyebrows up. "Wow, never judge a book by his cover, Stark." She smiles at him and takes his big, warm hand in hers. "You have more in common with Mr. Darcy than you would like, Tony. The two of you hide all the good you really have under layers and layers of coldness and arrogance at some moments in your life".

Her boyfriend blinked several times. Stunned.

"Are you comparing me to a stiff English landlord of the nineteenth century? Surely I am much better than him. I mean…"

"Come here, Mister. I've missed you so much this week!" She said, snatching the book from his hands, leaving it carefully on the low glass table, marking with delicacy the page where she had been reading until her boyfriend so rudely interrupted her. It was page number 144 as Tony could see clearly.

Then, Pepper attached him to herself and received him in a sweet and tender kiss that little by little became much more intense. Both their clothes began to fly over their heads and Tony forgot completely why he had left the workshop in the first place, lost in the intoxicating fragrance of his beloved redhead. The love of his life, the woman who soon would be his wife.

* * *

The next evening, when Pepper returns tired from a particularly hard day at work at _Stark Industries_ , she realizes that her book was not where she had left it the day before. Instead, a First Edition of the same novel rests on the small table in their living room. She picks it up delicately and looks for her beloved bookmark, pleading Tony didn't lose it. But it's placed on the very exact page where she had been reading the night before, no worries.

A huge smile settles on her face and turns into an inconceivable look of surprise when she turns the first page of the new book and realizes that it appears hand signed by Jane Austen herself. Tony must have been searching through the internet with Friday's help, and got her this First Edition of _Pride and Prejudice_ from a private collector at an absolutely obscene price. Upon turning the next page, a handwritten note slid over her navy blue skirt.

The small note, written in the neat and unmistakable hand of her fiancé, read:

' _I'm sorry I forgot (again) to give you a present for your birthday. I know it was last month. And I'm very, very late, but I hope this makes up for it._

 _Tony.'_

Pepper just smiles excitedly and presses the priceless book against her chest, cradling it with care, because for her, it has much more sentimental value than material.

At times, Tony was simply adorably eccentric in his gifts, and on rare occasions like this, he even managed to hit the nail on the head.

* * *

 _ **First prompt for Pepperony Week 2018 was Domesticity.**_

 ** _Hope you liked it! :)_**

 ** _A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Rebelmeg, my awesome beta. _****_She helped me a lot._**

 ** _All mistakes in English are mine and only mine. ^^_**


	2. Rescue

_**The characters belong to Marvel/Disney (I wish I owned them) a**_ _ **nd I don't get any profit from this writing.**_

* * *

 **RESCUE**

* * *

Flying in the air at the highest speed her thrusters gave her, Rescue worriedly gazed into the blinking GPS signal on the screen of her HUD.

"Come on, Friday!" Pepper cried out again.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Stark. The signal can't be read… I'm trying to engage with the satellite again…" More static, Pepper was starting to worry. And then… "Signal stabilized, Tony Stark's GPS located" The AI said. "Establishing the fastest route."

"Yes! Oh My God! Yes!" Pepper cried out. "Bring me with him. Now!"

"Of course, Mrs. Stark! Expected time of arrival 10 minutes."

 _Thank God_ Pepper thought. "Wait for me Tony, I'm near. I'll get you, Baby. Just hold on a little more, please." Pepper turned sharply in the air and flew at maximum speed towards the location blinking on the screen.

* * *

At the same time, inside a dark room in an old building, Tony tried to untie himself once again, but finally he surrendered to the evidence that the ropes were too tight and that he was incapable of letting go of that damn chair without help. The damned moron who had kidnapped him by putting a handkerchief impregnated with chloroform on his nose at the doors of _Stark Industries_ had been able to leave Happy out of combat, but very soon he would face a much greater problem. He wanted the blueprints of the armor, it was what everyone wanted nowadays. To sell them on the black market and all that shit. Idiots. He was Tony fucking Stark and he didn't have a clue about why all the goddamn evil fools in the universe believed that he would be foolish enough to willingly let his legacy end up in the hands of fanatics, torture and interrogation be damned. They certainly could catch him off guard like today, without an armor or another gadget at hand, but he was one of the smartest men alive, he always kept an ace up his sleeve. Surely the help wouldn't take long to appear. _Poor idiot,_ Tony thought. He would soon face Tony's beloved wife. Tony even pitied the poor bastard for a second. No one in their right mind should have to face the terrible wrath of Pepper Potts first hand. Tony was completely hopeful that she was going to save him as soon as she could.

Some time later, the familiar sound of the Rescue suit thrusters was heard above his head. _Rescue_. That was the name Pepper had chosen for her superhero persona. He even remembered the light in her eyes when she saw the silver and orange armor completely finished in his workshop, waiting for her. The first time she took the suit for a quick fly around their house. Her giggling face afterwards. Tony honored her decission of not wanting to have a heavy armed suit. Hers was more oriented to rescuing and protecting missions, because that was so much like Pep. Always guided by her fierce desire to help people and save as many lives as she could. No more, and yet no less.

His kidnapper, that moron, must have heard the suit too, because he just came through the door wearing a kind of rusty metal scrap iron covering his chest and pointing a loaded gun at him. _Poor devil, this is going to be fun,_ Tony thought, amused. _And maybe if I'm extremely lucky Pepper would be in the mood for a great private celebration of my freedom at home. Both of us, naked and alone,_ he dreamily thought. _Maybe she can start the fun with the suit still on, yeah that would be perfect._ His brain couldn't stop the naughty thoughts surrounding Pepper encased in his marvelous creation. It was one of his most loved fantasies even before she had the suit.

Suddenly a terrible crash caused half of the ceiling of the dark basement to collapse on the kidnapper who fell to the ground stunned amid the collapse of the roof and walls. Tony started coughing because of the inhalation of the damned dust that had lifted the structure as it fell. He couldn't help breathing through his nose and inhaling all of it because he was gagged. But soon, coughing so terribly became painful. At last, when the cloud of dust settled, he saw before his eyes Rescue, in her gleaming orange and silver armor, tall and fierce before him, in all her awesomeness. God, she was gorgeous. His wife approached him fast and removed the gag from his mouth with gentleness.

*Cof* *Cof* *Cof* *Cof* He coughed.

"Tony, Oh my God... Are you okay?" Her concerned voice thundered metallically through the suit's speakers. "Tell me you are okay, Babe, please. Did he hurt you? Did he hurt you Tony? If he did something to you he's a dead man. I'm going to kill that bastard… When Happy told me you were kidnapped… I was so worried sick… Tony, say something, please?"

Tony started coughing non-stop again. Barely able to form coherent speech.

"I'm okay *cof* Honey *cof* never*cof* better *cof* now *cof* that my wonderful *cof* wife has saved my sorry life. *cof* Again *cof* thank you *cof* you are *cof* the best. *cof*"

"So are you really okay? I'm so glad that you weren't in pain." She sweetly said as she untied him from the chair. Now calmer.

"Don't worry, Pep. *cof* He didn't hurt me. Only threats and too much villian talk for my taste. You *cof* know, the usual. *cof* I hate those guys they are all *cof* so predictable *cof* You, you *cof* look terribly sexy with your armor on… Wow.*cof*" He said as he got up and waited near her armored and beautifully heroic form.

Pepper laughed hard and retracted her suit's helmet, to look him straight into his eyes. Those chocolate brown eyes she loved so much.

"Tony, you just got kidnapped by this… This crazy evil idiot and still keep thinking about sex? Honestly, I think you should put your priorities in order…"

"How the hell couldn't I? *cof* I get kidnapped by a maniac and you come swiftly to my aid, like a wonderful vision wrapped in your shining armor that I designed myself… *cof* Oh God, Pep hold me…" He sais lingering over her armored shoulder.

"What? Tony what is it?" She asks suddenly worried again.

"I think I'm getting an erection." He sais so proud of himself, smiling as Pepper blushes.

"Oh come on! Be serious!" She screams, relief washing over her. "Stop joking, we need to get out of here."

"I'm not joking." Tony counters giving her the bedroom eyes.

"Please, this is not the time… Wait… Were is he?"

"Were's who?"

"Your kidnapper! Tony get hold of yourself! I have to bring him to justice, after all."

"I think you just crushed him under his own building, Hon. I'm so proud of you. My armored heroine, my Rescue..." He kept grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying this.

Pepper blushed harder. He thought she looked even cuter blushing brightly like that inside her own armor. _Like a glorious guardian angel. His very own guardian angel._

"Tony!" Pepper screamed scandalized, her gaze directed at _that_ place in his pants. Confirming his words. "Only you could get sexually excited in a situation like this…"

He smiled broadly at her. "I can't help my body's reaction when you are near me, Babe. I love you too much. And you are sexy as hell, my armored goddess"

Pepper swallowed hard. "Come on, stop with the joking. This is serious. And control that… Keep Little Tony at bay until we get home… Please?" She said putting her armored hands around his body, holding him with care.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll try to control myself as you wish." He said amused.

"Good. I'm just so glad you are okay. I was so worried… Forgive me for taking so long, but Happy had trouble explaining himself and your GPS doesn't work properly. You have to fix it. I thought I was going to go crazy if something happened to you and couldn't find you in time, Tony."

He only stared at her, knowingly.

"Now you know how it feels." He only said. "To worry all the time for the ones you love, to feel hopeless about not being able to save them from danger… That hollow in your chest that expands and expands…"

"Oh, Tony. Yes, it's so overwhelming. I mean… I couldn't even breathe… I couldn't think clearly…"

"I know, Honey. Trust me, I know." He said reassuring, cradling her face in his hands sweetly. "Besides, nothing happened. I'm completely fine. We are good. Oh but please, the next time you save me, try not to throw half of the roof all over me..." He teased her.

"Oh Baby, you are kinda right. Rookie mistake, I think I didn't calibrate the strenght of the thruster's blast correctly. I'm sorry, that debris could have hurt you badly."

"No, Pep. I was completely messing with you. You have calculated very well. A professional in this of the super rescue." Tony smiled at her encouragingly.

Absorbed in their mutual conversation as they were, they didn't realize that something in the back of the warehouse had moved. Then some alarm went off on Pepper's suit.

"Tony get down!"

"No, let me finish... You've been magnificent, a true professional of heroism and I..."

"Tonyyy, stand aside!"

"I have to say that... Wait, what are you doing? Stop, I'm talking to you, Mrs. Stark."

Pepper saw the stupid kidnapper runing towards them. He should have come back to his senses while they were distracted with their talk and now was dangerously approaching Tony from behind with malicious intentions. As her husband wasn't paying any attention to him, she went ahead and grabbed him, putting herself between the bad guy and Tony, shielding him with her armored body and firing her pectoral repulsor directly into the guy's rudimentary chest plate without a word.

Tony turned just in time to see him plummeting onto the hard ground, unconcious. And he gave his wife a long look that combined pride, gratitude and sexual arousal in equal measure.

"Thank you, Pep."

"You never listen to me, Tony" She retorted. "I told you to step aside…"

"Of course I listen to you!" Tony countered ofended. "I listen to you all the time."

Pepper pointed towards the unconscious guy lying on the wooden floor.

"Ok, fine. You win this round. We'll continue discussing this later." Tony said as he approached her again. Pepper didn't say anything, only put her helmet back on, bent down to pick up the bad guy and loaded him on her suit's shoulder, as if it were a sack of potatoes. "He's such a dead weight, the damned idiot… Next stop, the police department."

Tony smiled at her broadley, clearly amused.

"Well, it's the first time I'm going to fly in your arms, Honey... Oh Rescue, my titanium alloy Godess. Make me yours…"

Pepper narrowed her eyes and looked at him apprehensively.

"Promise me you'll behave while we are flying Tony, stop with the teasing. Come on… I need to focus on flying the suit with so much extra weight on… You already know this…" She said offering him her armored arm. "Besides, we can't stay here all day, maybe this imbecile has some less idiotic accomplices hidden around here. We better get going..."

It was a very small possibility, according to what he had seen when he got here. He was almost sure this crazy moron worked alone. But now that he was safe, Tony was enjoying this so much. He gripped the Rescue armor tightly against him and wrapped his arm around her titanium shoulder to maintain a good point of support during the flight. He noticed how Pepper's left arm held him tightly around his waist. Despite not having any physical contact, she had to admit that it was damn sexy... Maybe Tony was right, and this whole situation was very exciting. Not to mention that she was starting to like this thing of becoming a super heroine so freaking much.

"Okay, I got you. Let's go!" She thundered metallically as they took off, driven by the lower repulsors. Flying gracefully into the sky.

"You know, letting Friday auto-calibrate the stabilizers takes all the fun out of thiiiiiiiiis!"

Tony clung tightly to Pepper's waist. It was the first time he was flying in Rescue's arms, but he secretly hoped it wasn't the last one.

* * *

 _ **Second prompt for Pepperony Week 2018 was Rescue!Pepper.**_

 ** _Hope you liked it! :)_**

 ** _A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Rebelmeg, my awesome beta. _****_She helped me a lot._**

 ** _All mistakes in English are mine and only mine. ^^_**


	3. Friend

_**The characters belong to Marvel/Disney (I wish I owned them) a**_ _ **nd I don't get any profit from this writing.**_

* * *

 **FRIEND**

* * *

Pepper Potts and one of her best friends at the company chatted amusedly sitting on the big couch inside the CEO's office at _Stark Industries_. They were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't even hear Tony when he arrived.

"Yeah, now I understand what you meant about ' _His Girl Friday'_ giving you this vibe of Tony and I, Jeff." Pepper laughed happily. "I mean, it's just so funny I never did watch it when I was younger. If it wasn't for your comment I would had never know what you meant. I went to see it on a girls only movie night with some of my friends. And you were right. The characters are so much like us. Even Nat has been making fun of me for weeks after seeing it…"

"Oh, yeah I still remember when she worked here undercover, the Black Widow of the Avengers, wow, who would have known back then, right? I have to tell you. That day I accidentally tossed part of my coffee over her pristine white blouse? I thought she was going to kill me on the spot! She had daggers on her eyes." He laughed. "Yeah ' _His Girl Friday'_ that's a classic from 1943. Howard Hawks. It was one of my faves growing up. My grandmother used to see old movies on TV all the time. She loved cinema so much that she had that big VHS collection. And that movie stuck as one of my faves through the years, and yeah as I said, when the press started publishing that you and Tony were finally together… Through all the public statements my department had to do… I couldn't help to grin so hard because…"

Tony had been there early to pick up Pepper from work, in order to go out to dinner, since it was Friday, their weekly date night, and when he left the elevator and entered the familiar CEO's office, he had met them there chatting animatedly.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing still here? Does my girlfriend keep you so chained to your work table that you can't leave the building? Surely you have some place funnier to be, right? It's Friday evening! The weekend already!"

The two jumped surprised. Jeff looked at him in amazement. Pepper gave him a look full of reproach.

"Somehow I'm fine being here, Mr. Stark." Jeff said blinking his eyes fast. "I'm in very good company." He looked at Pepper with gratitude and friendship.

Jeff Sanders had always enjoyed Virginia Potts's company even before she became his boss. And everyone's boss. They were co-workers and friends and he truly liked her. But he never tried to invite her on a date because he was well aware that she was in love with Tony Stark. He noticed before everyone else. Before both of them even did. He was one of the few _Stark Industries_ employees that had known since the moment he disappeared in Afghanistan and Pepper's mood suddenly changed. He understood then, that she would never love anyone else the way she loved Tony. And he was happy for her when he returned safe and sound. He was happy for both of them when they announced that they were together in a relationship. Pepper was nice, smart and had always had so much patience with him. She was always available to solve some of his doubts with a kind word and a smile. She was a very dear friend to him. And a great boss too. And she deserved to be hapy with the man she loved.

"And you don't even try to deny it. Perfect. Just… Perfect!" Tony said even more dazed.

"What the hell, Tony get hold of yourself. You already know Jeff and I have been friends for years. We were just talking. A very nice conversation, by the way." Pepper angrily clarified "You don't have any right to enter my office like this and tell us what to do. Excuse yourself. Now."

"Who's Jeff? This guy?" He said pointing to the blond man, acting like he didn't know who he was. It was all one of his acts, of course he knew.

"Don't worry, Pepper. It's okay. Mr. Stark, Jeff Sanders. Head of Public Relations." He extended his hand towards him in a nice gesture. _Knowing Tony he wouldn't have a clue of who he even was._ Jeff thought. _Or if he'd known in the past, he would most surely had forgotten about him entirely after awhile. He was like that. A genius. Living in his own world. Men like Stark didn't give much attention to superfluous things or people._ "We were just talking about old movies. You know, Mr. Stark there's that Howard Hawks movie I used to love that features a relationship that…"

"Yeah, the main characters could easily be you and I, Tony." Pepper chimed in. "It's such fun. I have to get you to see it, Hon…"

 _Jeff Sanders, that Mr. Perfect._ Tony's thoughts had drifted completely away from the conversation. _He would never be rid of that guy. The Head Of the Public Relations Department. He did his job so well. Perfectly well. He could never get him fired, the guy had saved his sorry ass more times that he could count. Damn it. Tony hated his perfect blue eyes, and that perfect smile. But above all, he hated that he was SO CLOSE to Pepper. Always had been. Who knows if, in another life, Pepper would have ended marrying him, having his kids and living peacefully happy in a perfect little house with a perfect little white fence. Only thinking about it gave him stomach ache and his head started to spin._

"I'm not asking you!" Tony said, piercing him with a disgusted look.

"Mr. Stark! Please… You just came in here very upset. And you really have no reason to..." Jeff tried to explain himself again.

Tony, completely devoured by irrational jealousy, cut him off. He didn't want to hear more explanations. He just wanted Sanders' perfect face out of his sight. And from Pepper's sight.

"Sanders, get out, please. I need to talk with my girlfriend about something private, on a Friday evening, work is over until Monday… So… If you don't mind…" He showed him the exit with his hand.

"Of course, Mr. Stark." Jeff briefly said. "Bye Pepper. Have a nice weekend! Until Monday!"

"Oh Jeff, I'm so sorry for all of this. I don't know what has gotten into him. Bye." She replied.

Jeff didn't say anything else. He said goodbye to Pepper with a quick gesture of his hand, got up from the coach and went to the elevator to leave the building. All of that without glancing towards Tony once.

 _Stark was so obviously jealous_. Jeff thought inside the elevator bringin him to the lower floor. _But why? They were having the most innocent of conversations. Talking about Tony and Pepper's relationship even. He felt so confused, but thought the better course of action was to go home and let the couple alone to talk about their stuff. That's why he had left willingly. He hoped he hadn't gotten Pepper in trouble with her boyfriend._

Inside the CEO's office and once the other man had left and only then, Tony Stark relaxed and sat down in the white couch, next to his girlfriend.

"I want you to see something I've developed. It's like a way for the arc reactor technology to power up more efficient _Starkphones_ … You are going to love this, Honey. Imagine the sales and the happy faces on the board members…" He tried to make peace with her breaking the ice with something she would appreciate.

It was for nothing. Pepper was very angry, so she pulled away from him when he tried to caress her shoulder gently. She got up, picked up her bag and went out the door without looking at him. Tony followed her to the car. She continued to give him the silent treatment throughout dinner at their favourite restaurant, no matter how hard he tried to start a conversation. After that, they arrived home, changed on their pajamas and Pepper still didn't speak to him.

Tony felt sad, lounging on the couch three meters away from his girlfriend, sulking. Pepper was huddled on her own side of the piece of furniture, still not speaking to him despite all the attempts the engineer made to try to make amends with her. Finally he gave up. And remained quiet observing her in silence, apologetic.

When the TV series she was watching ended, Pepper suddenly asked, exasperated:

"Why are you so nasty at times? Aren't you ashamed of treating one of my friends like that?"

"I'm not, and... Jeff is just an acquaintance... A co-worker." He said trying to justify himself.

"Tony, you can be extremely nice and charming when you want to. But tonight you didn't even try to be polite. Did you know Jeff has always been a good friend for me? That when you disappeared for three months he was the only person that tried to cheer me up every day when I went to work and entered your empty office and had to hear Stane giving me his awful speech about you being dead? Every single fucking day? When I couldn't even find the strenght to get up in the morning? Jeff always said you'll came back because you wouldn't leave your _Girl Friday_ behind. Because you needed me. Because I was so important for you… Tony… He gave me hope you would come back! Can you understand?" She started sobbing, trying to hold back tears. "But he doesn't deserve you treating him like shit, he's been more than happy for us since we started our relationship and he admires you. Or did admire you. Maybe after today he'll only think that you are an awful jerk. You have to learn to behave. You can't treat people like garbage. Don't you understand? I thought we were beyond that. You've matured so much Tony, I'm just kind of… Deceived?"

Her boyfriend swallowed hard and looked at her with sad little eyes, hugging her tenderly against his chest. He hated to see her cry. And in a way, she was right. Pepper let him hold her and clung onto him for dear life, she was tired of arguments and the day had been exhausting, she didn't want to go to bed still angry with him.

"I didn't like that he was SO close to you. That's all." Tony whispered in her ear. "It's just that… When I saw you two together, laughing happily, I... He's a good man, Sanders. I've known him for years. He's very good in his job and has his heart on the right place. That's why… It's so hard for me…" He continued as if he was ripping the words from the depths of his heart. "I couldn't help thinking that maybe you should be with him and not with me."

The redhead raised her head to look him in the eyes and arched her eyebrows, incredulous.

"You're aware of how idiotic you sound, right Tony? Where the hell did your over-saturated neurons come up with such an idea?"

He gazed at her defensively, trying to explain his reasoning in a way that wouldn't infuriate her even more. Pepper's wrath was terrible.

"It's only logical, a woman as wonderful as you would be better served with a man like him. He's good, generous, his moral code… I don't deserve you, Pep. That's the truth. You deserve better. You could have a normal life, away from the danger… I've been so selfish, always thinking about all the good your love has given me… But what about you? That thought put me on edge. I'm sorry, Honey."

Unable to believe what she was listening to, Pepper pulled back a little and caught him by the chin, pulling him towards her with her long fingers. The hairs on his goatee twinged a little and Tony was slightly startled by the sudden pain. He didn't want to think much about what her hard touch was making him feel, becase it was putting him on fire. Pepper's breathing was a few millimeters from his face, her admonitory and fierce tone, those huge angry blue eyes fixed on him... He swallowed hard.

"I want you to open your damn ears and listen carefully to what I am going to say, because I will not repeat it. Tony, you are a good man too. The best man I'll ever know. So selfless and stupid."

"No, that's not true, Pep, I… I've made so many mistakes, I'm far from being what you need…"

Pepper knew very well that the quickest way to shut him up when he began to verbalize such stupidities was to kiss him. So she went ahead and did it. She captured his lips tangled around his, warm and pleasant. Tony could never resist her kisses and her touch, he was so weak when it was Pepper seducing him. It was a battle she had won before it even started. They inhaled each other slowly and intensely, their tongues intertwined, tasting one another. They only parted when air was needed to breathe.

"You're the one I love, idiot." She smiled at him when they parted, just two centimeters away from his gorgeous face, and placed a soft kiss on his chin, where the mark of her hand could clearly be seen. The soft short hairs there tickled her lips softly. She felt him shudder under her touch. "Sometimes I don't even know why... You make it very difficult for me." She joked.

"Still, Pep. I'm not questioning that. I know you love me. I love you too. More than anything." He clarified, shaking like a leaf. "But that won't change the fact that you deserve a lot better than me." He sighed. "And I'm so afraid of losing you. That someday you will wake up and realize that you deserve something better than this." He pointed to himself.

She stared at him, trying to comprehend him. The mystery inside Tony Stark's mind.

"So it was all about this… You being so rude at the office… You're afraid of losing me…"

He noded in a silent yes. A small understanding smile appeared on Pepper's lips.

"Why I'm not surprised that the great Tony Stark is so stupid and so insecure? Oh yes, because I've known him for more than twelve years. Incredible as it may seem, I've been putting up with you for years. Each and every one of your petty actions. Nothing you can do will surprise me to the point of making me run away from your side, Tony."

She watched closely how he had tensed up at hearing her words. He stirred uneasily under her and made a serious face.

"That's what I meant. I don't want you to wake up someday and see that I've done something so horrible or stupid or both that it destroys what we have. I couldn't bear to lose you, Pep."

She relaxed her expression. She could see, so clearly now, that he was genuinely worried, and in a way, that certainty moved her deeply. She caressed his face sweetly.

"You would never, Tony. Not willfully, that's for sure." She smiled to reassure him. "I wasn't done talking, Mr. Stark. You have matured a lot during these last years. All couples in serious relationships suffer from ups and downs, that's completely normal. I'll keep worrying every time you fly out that door in that Iron Man suit. And I'm sorry, but I can't help it. And you will continue to worry about my welfare. It is unavoidable. That's love, Tony. Wanting the happiness of another, even at the expense of oneself. Don't you realize?"

"I do… I worry so much for you. I don't want to hurt you, Pep. You are the best thing that's happened to me. Happy reminds me every day. And he's right, Honey… I…"

"Oh, shut up!" She said and kissed him very passionately again. She was going to get some sense into him, no matter what.

"Don't keep doing that, please…" He pleaded when they parted again.

Pepper stared at him teasingly.

"Why not?" She asked naughtily, even knowing the answer perfectly well.

"Because we were talking about important things regarding our relationship, and now the only thing my brain can think about is how much I want to undress you on the couch and do very dirty and kinky things to you..."

"Then do it. What are you waiting for?" She asks sliding her hands across his chest while kissing his neck. "I love you, Tony. And I know I've felt this way for a very long time. I'm not going anywhere. Not even because you just had a bad day and won't stop saying and doing nonsense. So there's nothing more to talk or worry about." Pepper whispers between wet and warm kisses.

"God Pep, no one can outsmart you when you put your mind to something, or someone..." Tony states between small sighs of desire. He's totally crazy for her.

They kiss passionately again. At a certain moment, when they had almost no clothes left, Tony decided abruptly that they would be more comfortable in bed. So he took her in his arms with a sudden movement and went to the bedroom while she laughed with joy, between soft caresses. Then, he realized that he could have ruined the best thing in his life for such stupid, unfounded jealousy. And he promised himself to put all those horrible thoughts out of his mind, or at least try. Pepper loved him and he just wanted to make her happy, marry her someday... When they were ready… He should stop being so pessimistic and enjoy all the good things that life had given him. They sure as hell deserved it.

* * *

 _ **Third prompt for Pepperony Week 2018 was Jealousy.**_

 ** _Hope you liked it! :)_**

 ** _A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Rebelmeg, my awesome beta. _****_She helped me a lot._**

 ** _All mistakes in English are mine and only mine. ^^_**


	4. Devotion

_**The characters belong to Marvel/Disney (I wish I owned them) a**_ _ **nd I don't get any profit from this writing.**_

* * *

 **DEVOTION**

* * *

 _Leave it to Tony Stark to create some sort of erotic handcuffs for sexual purposes and then wanting to try the thing on himself as soon as possible._ Pepper thought. Their special night just became more interesting when she came back home and found him bouncing with energy in the workshop, showing the invention to her, so eager and excited to be completely at her mercy in bed.

"So? It's kind of a restraining device, right?" She understands that much. "So you can't move even if you want to?" Pepper sometimes wondered what would the rest of the world do with that information, Tony's decades long playboy reputation and all that.

"Yes, it's magnetic but soft inside, look." He puts the piece in her hand, it looks like a soft cylinder of sorts, painted red and gold. Obviously. "It will restrain my wrist to the heardboard of the bed. No ropes, no bruises… Completely safe, trust me. It's going to be awesome."

"It feels very soft inside… But… Tony I don't know… Are you sure of this?"

"The software is directly connected to Friday, so if something goes wrong she'll disengage the devices. At once. No worries."

 _Sometimes I really ponder what I got myself into when I agreed to start a relationship with a brilliant genius._ _And marry him. And trying to have a kid with him right fucking now._ Pepper thinks to herself, and then laughs, because she knows the answer. She loves him with all her being. And he loves her back equally fiercely. And he made this because she's on her fertile days and they are trying to get pregnant, but he stated early this morning that sex doesn't have to feel like a duty, that they're gonna enjoy themselves while they try for their child. And she's totally sure she's going to enjoy this. Very much.

"It's one for each wrist right?" She asks curiously. He nods in a silent yes. "You'll be totally at my mercy…" She sais the last words lustfully.

"That's the idea!" He retorts excitedly. "I've always loved you bossing me around." He wiggles his eyebrows sexily at her.

After a quick dinner and a good talk about their day, suddenly Pepper gets up from the couch and grabs both his hands, making him stand up.

"Come on, my kinky husband. It's party time!" She states, winking seductively. "And bring those geeky handcuffs with you…" Then she starts walking towards their bedroom.

"Yes! At last!" He answers, following her closely down the hall.

"Are you so desperate?" She teases him, knowing fairly well that Tony's been thinking about how wonderfully well her naked body fits over his, all throughout their dinner.

"About having sex with you, my beautiful Goddess? Always." He says, complimenting her.

"Just for that, I'm going to start the game the way you like most, with a slow striptease. What do you say? Fun enough?" She asks him kissing his nose and taking his hand, guiding him inside their bedroom. Once inside, he stops on the spot.

"Pep, I love you so much." He sais, staring at her with obvious adoration. Then, he hugs her.

"I know." She answers laughing in his ear. "I love you too, Babe."

Pepper kisses him softly in the lips then, and slowly slips away from him, letting him go towards the bed. Soon he's sitting against the cushions, with his new creations on his hands, waiting for her to restrain him.

"Okay, Tony, give me those." Pepper begins undressing him. His grey t-shirt comes off. "Shoes off, socks off. Take off your pants and your underwear." She makes a dramatic pause. "That's if you're wearing it." She smiles to herself, knowingly.

"Yes, Miss Potts." He obeys, getting totally naked over the bed, just as his mother brought him into the world. "And no, Miss Potts." He adds half smiling teasingly. "I'm not wearing any underwear."

Tony wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Correct. How naughty of you..." She smiles wickedly at him. "I was counting on it, because someone's getting this recommendation of 'Always be ready to have sex with your wife on her fertile days.' Slightly too far uh? Don't you think, Babe?"

"You never know when the occassion will present itself, one has to be super ready for the babymaking to be effective, Honey…" He slipped off the submissive play, then realized and corrected himself at once. "I mean Miss Potts."

"Sure, Mr. Stark…" She chuckles. It's more than habit to him. Tony's always been a bit of an exhibitionist. In her time as his personal assistant, Pepper had already seen him completely naked on more than one occasion, wandering around his Malibu mansion. And she even remembers, vividly, that time she caught him masturbating on the couch in his workshop... She swallows hard at the sweet memory. "Are you gonna call me Miss Potts the whole time? Again?"

"Pep, you know I love it. I'll try. You know I lose control fast and end calling you Pep mid-thing every time. I can't even control myself."

"I know. It's so much fun seeing you squirming like that."

"Please call me Mr. Stark tonight. It puts me on fire… I think it's because it reminds me of the old times…"

"When we didn't even touch and were dying to... Yeah, It sort of makes me hot too, hearing you call me Miss Potts in bed..."

Her hungry eyes roam over _that_ part of his anatomy, and Pepper licks her lower lip in anticipation. When she comes to her senses, she proceeds to remove the cushions and the sheets and the soft Egyptian cotton cover.

"Now, please, get spread over the center of the bed, Mr. Stark." She asks with the very same authority she used when she was his personal assistant as she stares at his body wantonly, repeatedly tapping on the headboard with her sleek fingers.

It's not so much the formal treatment, but her unique way of saying it, and the scorching heat of her blue gaze roaming over his body, that makes a shiver of burning desire roam through the engineer's backbone, and he rushes to meet the demands of his beloved wife

"Good, Tony get comfortable and give me your wrists." She follows him, sensually crawling over the bed, still fully dressed. Tony gives her the two titanium alloy handcuffs and then he sits obediently over the sheets, moving to the center, staying there semi-reclining, his head resting against the headboard, putting his wrists inside the fluffy pieces. Then, Pepper closes them.

"That's it, you are completely tied up. Lovely." She smirks at him. "How are your wrists? Feels comfortable inside? If it hurts even in the smallest bit, you feel sick, you can't feel your fingers…" She pauses seriously. "You just can't take so much stimulation or you need to reach your climax before I think you deserve it… What do you have to say?"

" _Malibu"_ He answers without hesitation, staring into her eyes, trusting Pepper entirely. "Honey, I know the safe words. _Scotch_ if I want more."

"That's correct." She laughs wickedly. "I'm so sure you're not wanting more. Tonight you are going to beg me like never before, Mr. Stark…" She teases, while smiling at her work. "Your invention feels very smooth to the touch."

"Feels like velvet inside. It's actually very soft. I feel comfortable, and Friday will be monitoring my vitals during all this. Don't worry, Honey." He moves his fingers happily.

Tony is lying partially reclined on his huge bed and part of the pillow, his head against the mahogany headboard, arms spread and extended upwards, tied by his titanium handcuffs. His legs are free and slightly open, any possibility of movement removed. The redhead feels a new wave of excitement running through her, seeing how absolutely captivating and sexy his man is, totally at her mercy. The complete trust he has in her by letting her do this to him, it puts a warm feeling in her stomach. Pepper Potts never knew she had so many kinks until she started trying different sex games with the love of her life. With him nothing is boring and that includes their sex life. Tony opened up a whole world of new possibilities, although they never do anything dangerous, they like to keep things safe. It's only an innocent game of domination between them to spice up their relationship.

Before getting off the bed again, Pepper kisses him lightly, a feathery touch over his eager lips, promise of what is to come.

"Okay, now I'm gonna get naked and when I'm ready, we start with the dom/sub game. All right?"

"Oh yeah, Babe." Tony says withouth breaking eye contact with her. His eyes roam through her slender body, wanting to see everything.

Pepper starts taking her white shirt off delicately and stores it in the wardrobe, then unbuttons her skirt, then her bra, but she keeps her panties on as she goes to the bedside table to deposit her hair pin there, loosening her hair sensually, because she knows that Tony especially loves her hair down. Then she puts away her diamond earrings (Tony's present for her last birthday), her watch and her heart shaped ruby pendant. Once she's done, she moves right into her husband's line of sight, who doesn't take his eyes off of her, so he can have a good angle. She slowly, seductively slides her panties down her long legs. Lifting her feet with exquisite sensuality, one first, then the other, leaving the piece of white lingerie on the floor, not looking back. She will pick them up later or tomorrow. The effect of the small striptease on Tony is immediate, he swallows hard and begins to breathe much quickier with his eyes wide open, taking her beautiful naked body in. _Shit_ , he regrets, he already feels an irrepressible desire to touch and caress her and the torture has only begun.

She easily gets into her role of dominant woman, just as Tony likes, and moves on the four-inch heels walking around the bed, with firm model steps and total ease. She's a pro at this. Tony inhales and exhales very quickly, not able to take his eyes off of her, following every single sensual move.

"Mr. Stark, do you like what you see?" She asks faking innocence.

"Come here at once, Miss Potts." He demands abruptly.

"It's me who gives the orders tonight, Mr. Stark. Don't you forget." She smiles towards him teasingly, a spark of ill-concealed lust in her blue eyes.

Both devour each other with their eyes, while Pepper sits on the edge of the bed, avoiding any kind of touch with Tony's body, gently removing her heels, one after the other. And Tony can't look away from her, feeling his cock twitching in delight. Afterwards, barefoot, she begins to crawl across the mattress, subtly brushing Tony's body as she moves forward. The touch is brief and premeditated, the intention is to leave him waiting for more friction, more touch, more skin, always more. Pepper reaches his torso, touches his arms lightly with her little manicured hands. Her right one goes up to his hair, gets tangled in it. Tony feels her slender fingers and moans, goosebumps forming across his body. He loves when she touches his hair like that. And suddenly, she pulls him by it, pulling him towards her, making his mouth crash with hers in a hard, passionate kiss full of tongue and teeth. Her tongue traces the inside of his mouth, turning them both on. Afterwards, Pepper licks her lips with delight. Tony looks at her wistfully, completely at her mercy, a mixture of adoration and vulnerability in his brown eyes and seeing him like this ignites Pepper, taking her hot passion to unbearable levels. Trying to recover her composure, she leans over his ear and while sucking the lobe, whispers quietly, in a dark lustful voice:

"Now, I'm gonna touch myself, Mr. Stark, just like you would touch me if you could, just as I imagined you would during all those years I worked for you and could only dream you would make me yours…" Her voice is so filled with lust, Tony sighs hard, bracing himself for the ride.

Pepper sighs and shudders herself at the beautiful sight. A wave of pure, unadulterated desire, roams through her body, warm wetness pooling between her legs. She's sitting over his abdomen, with her legs resting on the mattress supporting her weight on her knees, her upper body slightly raised so Tony can see. And he has plenty to look at, he can _feel_ she's already wet, the excitement of his wife is so evident that he shudders, desperate to be able to touch her again. Pepper raises her right hand towards his astonished half-open mouth and only gives him one command:

"Lick my fingers, Stark. That way I'll keep you quiet for some time."

He whimpers, staring at her wide-eyed, desire and desperation mixed inside his brown eyes. He obeys her at once, knowing where she wants to guide her hand later: first over her clit in sweet, circular motions and then slowly inside her. She's already caressing her breasts with her little left hand with that mixture of softness and roughness that she always asks him to use with her. The tips of her fingers trace circles on one of her delicate nipples and Pepper moans, the white skin of her neck, shoulders and chest going a delightful kind of red, and her small freckles, tantalizingly close to Tony but so far from his reach at the same time... For her, his electrifying gaze is enough to feel waves of unadulterated desire that her firm massage over her erogenous zones does nothing but amplify. Her right hand leaves Tony's mouth. He kisses the back before it moves away completely and travels towards the center of her anatomy, where Pepper first slides one, then two and finally three fingers inside her vagina, gasping and moaning.

"Oh, God, Potts…" He whispers raggedly. "Do it. Touch yourself. For me…"

She smiles at him.

Masturbating in front of Tony is one of the most exciting sexual activities for both of them, and has always guaranteed a wonderful orgasm for her. Especially because while doing it her brain always strives to remember those days in the solitude of her own apartment when she pleasured herself thinking about him, imagining his hands caressing her body, long before they started their relationship and the first months dating. Before they made love for the first time, the many nights they said goodbye at the door of her house with a kiss and she gave herself in to her hidden passion for him in the solitude of her bed. Soon her right hand circles quickly over her clit, just the right way she needs to reach her climax, Tony knows she's close and keeps looking at her with huge dark eyes that reveal his own arousal. He's already fully erect by now, and would be ready to join her if he could. Pepper's body arches because of the incredible pleasure roaming through her insides, and she moans, gasps and screams, coming hard under his watchful gaze.

"Oooooh… God… Fuuuck."

The incredible orgasm sweeps her off her feet completely, her eyes closed, her body shuddering, her back arched. Tony feels like screaming and would give anything in his power for the opportunity to untie himself and beg her for permission to love her now, while her body still vibrates uncontrollably. He wants to touch her, kiss her, lick her... Anything. But she continues going through her powerful climax, eyes closed, enjoying the sensation, her feminine fluids drenching Tony's abdomen and when she finishes, she raises her head to stare into his eyes and only says:

"So delightful, Mr. Stark."

"Potts, please..." Is the anguished plea that comes from Tony's lips. He tugs hard at the handcuffs of his own design… Nothing. He's tied up. Can't touch her, nor himself.

"Shhhh," She comands closing his mouth with two fingers, still dripping with her own fluids that he licks with pleasure, his eyes two burning coals, his tongue licking her fingers completely clean. "We are just getting started, Mr. Stark."

"Fuck…" He whispers roughly once she withdraws her hand from his mouth.

Pepper Potts feels privileged listening to his ragged voice. He wants her so much it's maddening. She rewards him for it. Tony feels her sleek fingers running through his hair, in that sweet and calming caress he loves so much. It lasts for a few seconds, then she stops. Pulls away from him so soon, torturing him expertly. Tony moans in despair and trembles slightly, trying to break free. His arms tense, his patience totally put to the test. Then she starts truly touching his body, at last. Pepper sucks hard over the tendoms on his neck, her skilled mouth goes lower kissing his pectoral muscles with subtlety, licking his abdomen, then his legs, down to his ankle, sliding her tongue over the soft curvature of the bone, the sensitive skin of the knee and his muscular thighs. When her tongue finally, slowly and agonizingly traces the curve where the thigh joins the hip, Pepper blows air gently over the wet skin there, turning cold at contact. That makes Tony arch over the mattress as if he had just been electrocuted. His strangled gasp is music to Pepper's ears, and she simply smiles against his hip, staring in awe at his obvious erection raised to the ceiling.

"Wow, you are already hard as a rock. I love that you are so wonderfully sensitive to my touch, Mr. Stark."

"Pepper! God… I can't! Please!" His chest rises and falls rapidly, in short, frantic breaths, because of the enormous effort involved in controlling his arousal. The tendons of his arms stand out from pulling against the titanium handcuffs. He slowly raises his head so that he can look directly at her, the curve of his lips reflecting the desperation in his huge brown eyes.

Pepper changes position, placing her head between his legs, her freckled face just at the level of his groin.

"Pepper? What happened to Miss Potts? Are we starting to lose control so soon, Mr. Stark?"

"Soon? It's been awhile…" Tony moans, annoyed with himself. He's desperately thinking about using the word _Malibu_ and ending the dom/sub game, he'll be free to touch her then… But no... He's not a wimp. He can take this, right? Plus he trusts his beloved wife with his life. He knows the rewarding orgasm at the end will be worth it. So he only sighs quickly, panting hard.

Virginia Potts-Stark knows perfectly well that when Tony is so sexually excited he can't help calling her by his most affectionate nickname. Her rebuke is part of their game. The same thing usually happens to her, _Tony_ is always the word that escapes her lips when she surrenders herself unreservedly to her desire for him. It's the inevitable expression of trust, intimacy and love between them. She knows that listening to his first name right now will put him even closer over the edge, burning down the last self-control he has left. And Pepper enjoys so much pushing him into his limits, when he begins to weep and plea for his orgasm, as he always ends up being unable to use the safe word, longing for the sweet reward that awaits him.

"Tony… We don't want to rush things, do we?" She says gracefully as she slides the tips of her little fingers through the dark curly hairs around his tense erection, bending so far that her breath caresses the tip of his penis subtly. Always without touching it.

The readhead looks at what she's done to him, it always takes so little time to make him shudder with desire over sweet caresses and her mere naked presence over him. Pepper smiles proudly. She loves the sensations she's able to make him feel. She loves to see Tony slowly crumble under her touch while she gets more and more excited, seeing him so hungry for her, hoping that she will let him relieve his intense arousal in the end. His body covered in sweat, muscles trembling, face flushed and eyes pleading.

Oh God, Pepper loves to see him like that. Slowly dying of pure, unadulterated desire for her.

"What would you say if I put you in my mouth right now? If I swallowed you whole, from the root to the tip, deep into my throat? Do you think you would last long or would you come immediately?" He makes a skeptical movement with his head. _Always showing off_ , Pepper thinks, amused. "I don't think you'll last long, Tony…" Her husband closes his eyelids tightly and an indecent and guttural moan leaves his lips. "No, maybe that's not the best course of action. Do you prefer that I make love to you with my tongue, softly and delicately until you scream and beg me to let you cum in my mouth?"

She's caressing his right thigh now, the soft skin there smooth to the touch. Raising her head towards him, she kisses him hard and dirty, all tongue, her left hand tangled in his hair, pushing him forcefully to her mouth. He's shaking like a leaf in the middle of the kiss, the touch of Pepper's hand against his thigh making him cry out into her mouth. When she finally releases him, he's shuddering violently and breathes very quickly, complete despair in his dark gaze.

"Pepper! Please… I just… I need..." His voice sounds strangled by the effort of articulating the words.

Pepper's thumb traces small circles over his hipbone. She delights on seeing him shudder, he's so beautiful to look at. The redhead feels a thousand lascivious emotions arising from her insides.

"Okay, but just because you asked so nicely. You use the word 'please' so little... I suppose you deserve a reward for being so exquisitely educated." She teases.

Suddenly, her hand is over his erection, tracing soft caresses over its entire length, also stroking his testicles with the tip of her long fingers and then up again, her whole hand around his member, from the base to the tip. With the right pressure that drives him mad. _Talk about having blue balls,_ Tony thinks, squirming in pleasure as some drops of precome spill from the tip of his cock.

"Yes! Thank… you… Pep…" He moans.

Pepper caresses his glans with unusual force then, and the smoothness of her delicate thumb distributes the fluid along the tip of his cock, then down, caressing the entire length. Massaging, rubbing delicately, turning Tony completely crazy with desire with her simple touch. The hand job is so good, he only wants to let go and come in her hand... But he can't. Not until Pepper allows him to do it inside of her body. The poor man can't even sit still, trembles and struggles against his handcuffs… _What the hell was I thinking when I designed this things_ , he desperately wonders. His hips surge upwards in a desperate and fruitless search for blessed relief, his breathing accelerated amid moans and animal growls. Totally out of control.

"Pepper…Pepper…Pepper…Pepper…" Her name becomes a prayer on his parted lips, begging for mercy.

Her hand traces lines of pure fire over the battered skin around the scar where the arc reactor once was. Pep knows his skin feels so sensitive there. He tries to move away of her touch, but she keeps caressing him there, rubbing her lower body against his hipbone too, feeling warm wetness pooling over her abdomen. She kisses him again, and again and this time the kiss is interrupted by Tony's deep gasps, who looks at her impressed, his huge brown eyes wide open.

"Pepper don't do this to me. Please… I need you, more than anything… I love you… Please…" He tries to persuade her to let him touch her and fuck her in another strangled whisper.

"Please what?" Pepper teases him again. "You know you can't come until I let you." She knows his resolve is totally broken, loves seeing him like that. Bound, mad with desire, and totally at her mercy. She touches his cock long and sweet. And he squirms into her touch, shuddering at the ache.

He's not going to be able to hold back for much longer, not in this state of delirious excitement she put him through. Tony's deliciously responsive, always craving for her touch and affection, both know it, so she crawls from her position, very slowly, upwards, rubbing her body against his.

"I adore you when you're like this. I love the way you make me feel, seeing you like this. So wickedly hot." She whispers, voice deep with lust, leaning all over him, brushing her lips over his wanton mouth, pressing her reddened aroused nipples over his pectoral muscles. Her hair hovering over his face, giving him goosebumps.

Tony kisses her back greedily, and she rubs her lower body against his then, especially her inner thighs and clit, getting sweet friction there against his hip bone, that puts her on edge. Tony's head falls backwards with a jerk as he squints his eyes shut, because of all the ecstasy and frustration.

Pepper stares longingly at him, and repositions herself over his warm body, guiding her right hand towards his dick, letting herself be breached by his thick and hard member, so delightfully slowly. Tony gasps in surprise, eyes still closed shut, at the pleasant turn of events. Both of Pepper's soft hands rest heavily over his shoulders now, balancing herself as she goes down onto his dick at a maddeningly slow pace, letting him suffer the anguish of waiting. His eyes are widely open now, sensation overwhelming him, she has all the control.

She gasps, and Tony moans sharply, when she takes him completely inside, and refrains from his desire to move his hips up, for a few eternal moments, looking into her eyes with total devotion and pure love reflected in his chocolate brown ones. The look pierces through Pepper's heart, more than desperate to feel her new climax, unable to take more. She wants to feel him vibrate with her, wants him to come undone all over her. So, she begins to move. Rocks her hips over his, putting in place a slow pace that soon starts getting faster. Pepper feels so needy and over the edge, that her entire body is moving up and down over his, clinging for dear life to Tony's shoulders in order not to lose her balance, moaning when all the weight of her body gives her _that_ pleasant touch in her clit. So good, but not enough. Wanting more friction, she wantonly slams his cock against her G spot, crying out as his dick just rubs against her sweet spot repeatedly.

Tony watches her, thoroughly frozen, recording every second and every movement in his head. Archiving it in his brain as the most erotic moment he can remember in his long list of sexual life experiences. Pepper's fingers dig into the soft skin on his shoulders, scratching his back hard. The blue eyes dark, pupils dilated with pleasure. Her movements get fast as she fucks him, staring at him in wonder, her mouth slightly ajar.

Tony's body lights up at a particular roll of her hips. He tightens around Pepper, his cock twitches inside her in time with the way she feels so tight and hot and wet around his dick, sliding herself up and then back down, following her own pace.

Both are so exhausted and over-stimulated that they can barely withstand the wild rhythm the redhead has imposed on both of them for much longer, and they finally surrender to the tacit demand of their bodies.

"For me, Tony. Let yourself go…" She asks him finally, in a strangled whisper. "Come for me, for us, my love…" Her words are so desired, true music in his ears, he's been barely holding himself back. Of course he's gonna obey her comand, all his muscles have been shuddering for more than an hour. He feels deeply grateful that his amazing wife is finally letting him reach his release.

Pepper rolls her hips in that lovely way that makes him see stars and he's lost. Hot, unadulterated pleasure roams through his body. He's pressing his hips up into her only once more before she presses herself down on top of him and stays there. For Tony it's always incredibly strenuous and intense when she tortures him in this way. The engineer grunts and screams in ecstasy until he almost runs out of voice, reaching his longed-for orgasm at last, his wet hair dripping with sweat. His muscles are so tight that it seems that the very fibers are going to break, big drops of sweat sliding all over his body: neck, shoulders, chest... He pants hard, his head arches back violently, unable to rest on the pillow because of the titanium handcuffs. He digs his fingers deep into his own palms as he comes, hard, in a way that makes all the tension go away, his body too sensitive everywhere at once. He's gonna have marks of his own nails all over his palms after this. He doesn't even care. His toes are curling, his thighs are jerking, cumming in strong waves. Hot streams of cum make their way inside her. Pepper is shaking all over him and one of her small hands goes to her clit, rubbing it in circles, hard and fast, and it doesn't take much to have all her body clenching around Tony. The walls of her vagina milking him expertly, slightly painful now that he's aching all over, already softening inside her. She's coming all over him now, going trough a new, wild orgasm, waves after waves, while her vaginal walls contract uncontrollably and squeeze Tony to the last drop. His cock twitches and he's coming again, and again, he gives her everything, every last drop of semen, until the spams of his twitching cock keep going but he doesn't have anything else to offer anymore. He's completely spent.

"Yes… God… Oh yes…" He moans softly into her ear. Totally undone.

Later, when everything is over, his body feels totally relaxed bathed in endorphins, in heavenly calm. His orgasm was so longed for and so delightful. Tony doesn't know how he has endured so much stimulation. His mind finally lets him realize that Pepper has come back from the haze of her climax too. Both feeling on the verge of extreme exhaustion, they continue to gasp and breathe raggedly, exhausted and completely satiated. Their sweaty skin is reddened by the effort. They kiss each other softly on the lips, some quick soft smooches as they disentangle themselves, Tony's dick sliding out of her body. Pepper repositions herself, staying close to him, she loves the warmth.

"Wow…" Tony can at last articulate words a while later, voice still ragged. "Thank you, Honey…"

"Yes, Wow…" Pepper says trying to catch her breath. "You're… Welcome… Fuck… That's been…"

He laughs softly into her neck, kisses her there softly. "Yeah, Pep, fuck... Fuck summarizes it quite nicely…"

Pepper can't find words to finish her sentence, her brain still flooded in pleasurable endorphins. Tony forces himself to open his eyes slowly so he can look at her, he needs to look at her. And, as soon as he does, he discovers that she keeps them closed, running her pink tongue down her lower lip softly, in an expression of complete delight. He leans forward to give her a quick kiss on her delicious lips. Sighing loosely afterwards. Pepper finally opens her blue glittering jewels to look at him.

Then, staring into each other's eyes, he makes his request smiling, sweaty and very exhausted, trying to recover the normal rhythm of his breathing:

"Friday, handcuffs, open, now!" He asks. And he's instantly free. Both cuffs spring open from his wrists and then roll over the sheets. He doesn't look at them, doesn't waste any time, goes directly towards Pepper, his arms embracing her into a warm, needy hug.

"Hey? Touchy much?" She smiles into his neck, slick with sweat. She totally understands his need for affection, loves to hug him back too.

"I need to touch you. Please Honey, let me hold you for awhile…" He whispers inside her ear. "I was starving for you. You are so hot."

"Yeah, I noticed you were a little desperate..." Her eyes shine.

They stay like that, hugging each other tenderly. Pepper caresses his back in circles, softly.

"Just a little?" The understatement of the year, Honey. "I was totally desperate..." He clarifies jovially. "You know I've been saving all my soldiers for this mission. For three weeks. I needed to come so bad, at one moment back there, I thought I was going to break."

"I know, Babe. It's been a little hard for the both of us, but we want our baby, remember?"

They are willing to do everything in their power to achieve their dream of having a family together.

"I do. I'm longing for the day we finally can see our kid's chubby face." He replies dreamily.

Pepper smiles, looking into his eyes. He stares back, she always looks so beautiful after they have sex, his wife. Glows so bright.

"I really, really enjoyed it. So maybe we can do it again? I like your invention. You don't have any marks on your wrists. Perfectly safe…" She carries on, touching him. Until she looks at his palms. "What are those nasty nail marks?" She asks, suddenly scared, examining his skin with care.

"I got too carried away there, when I was coming so hard, but it doesn't hurt. I promise." He sheepilishly says, he doesn't want to worry her because he enjoyed himself so much tonight. Both of them did, he wants for her to play his severe but weirdly sweet Domme again in the near future, thank you very much.

"Well, I have some lotion that can help you feel better. Maybe put it on for a couple of days?"

"I'll do it. But it's nothing, you know I've gotten far worse…" He agrees happily. "Thank you, Hon."

 _But you didn't get those other wounds because of me._ Pepper thinks. She still looks a little worried. Tony doesn't want her to feel bad. At all. It was great, felt awesome. "Pep, you were pefect as the dominant, please don't panic. I'm okay. And I want to do this game again. Lots of times. Please?" He bats his eyelashes at her comically.

"Oh. Sure." She stares into his dark brown eyes. "I get so excited seeing you like that, at my mercy. Lying there for me to do whatever I please with you. So hot."

"I've always loved you bossing me around. We are such perverts, Pep."

"Yeah we are." She doesn't argue with him this time. "I love you, Tony."

"I love you too. What do you say to a hot shower and then cuddling ourselves to sleep? I want to hold you in my arms all night long. What do you say Mrs. Stark?" There's a possessivenes about Pepper claiming him as hers like this, that has Tony aching for a chance to touch her body again.

"It's a great plan. I'm gonna stay here while you shower. There's more possibilities for your little soldiers to reach my egg this way."

Tony looks at her, puzzled but smirking happily.

"You talking baby-making like that, sounds sexy as hell… Maybe we can try again? Just to be sure?" His brown eyes light up with emotion.

"Later… Now go shower… I'll catch you in there after awhile."

He smiles broadley. "When I'm all clean and shiny, I'll change the sheets. No way we can sleep comfortably over all that sweat… I need some water. Oh my Goddess you made me work so hard for my release I nearly dehydrated…"

"Stop whining, you big tease. You ended up having big fun."

"Sure did!" He winks his right eye at her.

"Okay, get going, Mr. Stark!" She adds. "I'm not done with your sorry ass, yet."

"Really? You've got more on store? So cool. Remember you promised!"

He stops and leaves a sweet kiss on her forehead, then disappears inside their bathroom.

She smiles to herself, totally spent and spread over their bed and silently prays they hit the jackpot this time. They can't wait to see little Morgan's face.

* * *

 _ **Fourth prompt for Pepperony Week 2018 was NSFW.**_

 _ **I want to thank all of you, fellow #Pepperony shippers, for your comments and faves. I'm so happy that you are enjoying my fics. Thanks for reading!**_

 ** _A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Rebelmeg, my awesome beta. _****_She helped me a lot._**

 ** _All mistakes in English are mine and only mine. ^^_**


	5. Twins

_**The characters belong to Marvel/Disney (I wish I owned them) a**_ _ **nd I don't get any profit from this writing.**_

* * *

 **TWINS**

* * *

Their summer house in The Hamptons, New York felt strangely calm at those ungodly hours at night. Sleep was a commodity a father of two babies couldn't have anymore. The engineer was glad that he'd never been a sleepyhead.

Tony was sitting behind the window in the children's bedroom, the baby boy safely clutched in his arms. He lowered his gaze in order to look at him again. So tiny, and contented in his peaceful sleep. _His son, his and Pepper's_ he thought, proud and happy. The baby didn't open his eyes, just remained there, sleeping pacefully in his dad's arms.

Breastfeeding obviously made miracles at 2 in the morning, Tony smiled.

It was Maria's, the baby girl's, turn to get her late night snack in Pepper's arms, now. One twin sound sleep and the other at dinner time. No crying. Tony enjoyed that rare moment of peace in _House Stark_ and sighed. Life was so different now, harder in a way, more rewarding in the other.

He wouldn't change it for anything. He would never regret their decision to become parents.

"Hey, there Morgan." The engineer whispered softly to his son. "I'm so glad you got your mother's beautiful blue eyes…" He chuckled softly. "You are going to be a handsome boy… Yes, like your pops… That's right. Your sister got mine… She'll have me all wrapped around her little finger sooner than I think, right?"

Pepper just entered the room with the baby girl still attached to her right breast, and heard him say the last part. She swayed back and forth trying to lull her to sleep, because she was well-fed already. They both were, for a few more hours at least.

"Yes, and she will be a heartbreaker when she's older with those puppy brown winners."

Tony furrowed his eyebrows. "Oh please, let me enjoy my daughter for some years before I have to worry about that, Mrs. Stark. No boyfriends until she's thirty. I refuse. I'm going to be her beloved dad and she would never leave my side."

"Oh, Tony." She smiled at him. "I'm already dreading the day you'll have to send her to college."

His expression suddenly saddened.

"I don't even want to think about that. Too soon. Besides, you would know about the disarming puppy dog eyes because these brown suckers worked on you like a charm."

"Sure they did, Tony. Still do. And now I have a full set of four to worry about. And don't fret, we are gonna have our plate full with these two for the years to come…"

"Yeah. Twins. I never saw that one coming…" Tony added, amused.

"You didn't dream about that." Pepper said, laughingh hard.

"Definetely, no… But I'm glad it was a surprise gift from destiny. The most wonderful surprise of my life, Pep."

"I know." His wife said as she lowered her body to kiss him on the lips. "I think the same."

She noticed Maria had just fallen asleep and she removed the baby from her breast, buttoning her pajamas back up. She sat next to Tony and the two of them rocked their babies to sleep, side by side, whispering sweet words of love to both of them. The twinkling summer night stars seemed to watch over them, granting their protection to the lovely family in a grateful and free universe. Tony and Pepper were the defenders of earth after all, and other worlds were equally grateful to them for destroying Thanos and all his wrongdoing. New lives and returned old ones filled their lives with joy. Their future looked nice and full of love.

* * *

 _ **Sixth prompt for Pepperony Week 2018 was Post - Infinity War.**_

 ** _This story was inspired to me by one of my best friends, who recently had a baby. And how that fact changes you, and your life. Hope you liked it! :)_**

 ** _A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Rebelmeg, my awesome beta. _****_She helped me a lot._**

 ** _All mistakes in English are mine and only mine. ^^_**


	6. Candlelight

_**The characters belong to Marvel/Disney (I wish I owned them) a**_ _ **nd I don't get any profit from this writing.**_

* * *

 **CANDLELIGHT**

* * *

It's Virginia Potts's 25th birthday today. She's been waiting for this day for so long; They promised she'll see her best friend again after what feels like forever. But she's on her third cup of coffee and Natasha still hasn't come. They won't even let Virginia call her, Obie and his men. She's worried sick, but she blames the too-quick beating of her heart on the coffee. As long as she's here, they won't hurt Nat, and she's been nothing but obedient to those Hydra scumbags. As long as she gets results in her laboratory with that drug, she has nothing to fear from them. And she does! They need her. No use worrying about it, since when her friend does come and sees her, she's so sure Natasha will just tease her about the fact that the only thing she gains every year is a new wrinkle in her baby face.

The waitress approaches her table, but Virginia only acknowledges her when she speaks. Holding a strawberry shortcake, the waitress greets her a very happy birthday. She further explains that Natasha told them to give her the cake if she's over three hours late. Virginia thanks the waitress and only then realizes the time. She'll have to go soon. Damn it!

She stares at the single candle on the cake. It's been a long time since she's felt so sad. She closes her eyes and wishes she wouldn't feel this alone anymore. But she won't let Nat know she's moping, so she bites her lip, shuts lonely Virginia Potts inside and opens her eyes. She plasters a smile on her face. It's a cute cake, and her friend made sure to add a tiny chocolate cartoon puppy detail. The smile becomes easier to keep.

It's half past six. She closes her eyes again, takes a deep breath and blows out the candle. She opens her eyes and places the cake carefully on the table, but she feels a hard stare directed at her. She looks to her left and she almost jumps—she hadn't felt anything up until now and the man who was staring was standing right next to her table. Rumlow would be disappointed. She shrugs off the thought.

"Excuse me?" She never liked being stared at, but she isn't one to fold. Especially not today.

The dark haired man keeps staring at her like she's grown another head. He's about her own age, shorter than average, and looks better than average if he weren't so creepy, staring like that, she thinks. But he has questionable fashion, she adds, because who wears a dark grey t-shirt with a hole in their chest, a hole that sparks and emits blue light. Oh and don't forget those worn, grease stained jeans in a fancy café like this one. Perhaps an actor, a performer, or a cosplayer, who knows…

Feeling uncomfortable, her gaze travels back to his face, and their eyes lock for a second. She doesn't like it. But she doesn't turn away. "If you value your normal life, leave. I am not interested." She turns and forces her eyes forward, away from him. When she wished she wasn't so alone, she didn't wish for a stalker.

The man raises his eyebrows, and replies. "You called me here."

"I don't need to hear your bad pickup lines, stalker."

"Stalker?!"

She feels vaguely smug, breaking his intent gaze on her with that incredulous look on his face. She still hopes he'll leave her alone though. For both their sakes. "Yes, so please leave before the police or something worse comes after you. I have plenty of pepper spray!" She shouts.

She looks to the window in her right, no black car with the Hydra sign yet, but they must be keeping close watch. In a second, however, she feels the weight of his gaze gone. She turns cautiously to her left, and he is nowhere to be seen. She doesn't bother to look for him, though it unsettles her she didn't even sense him leave.

She feels a chill roam down her spine, and she looks back across the street. A few moments later, the familiar Black Porsche is there to pick her up. Her senses are fine, she concludes.

She takes one last look at the cake, then gestures for the waitress. It's time to go.

* * *

Virginia Potts is back at her apartment, feeling quite hollow. She asks herself, _is this what being an adult is about?_ But, really, she just misses her best friend. It's her birthday—how much do the gods hate her?

She places the box with the cake Nat picked for her on the table. She opens it carefully, with a forlorn look. Maybe, if she wishes hard enough, Natasha will visit her here. After all, she did wish for company when she blew the candle earlier, and she received it, albeit in the form of a stalker that, thankfully, left her in peace after she threatened him to drown him in pepper spray. Maybe her wish just had to be more specific.

While she has learned during all these years not to hope, it was hard not to when it concerned the feeling of being totally alone in this world. Her heart warms a bit. She feels like a kid, but she lights the candle anyway.

She smiles at how silly she must look. She closes her eyes. "I wish my best friend will spend my birthday with me." She blows the candle out.

Eyes still closed, she waits for the ring of the bell. Or her phone.

She struggles to keep the smile on her face. Her shoulders drop. She releases a breath she didn't know she was holding, almost a sigh. _I'm so stupid_ , she thinks. Gods don't exist, and if they did, she reckons, they won't hear wishes made upon a messy half-burnt candle.

She opens her eyes and blinks twice.

The stalker is here again! Her eyes open wide.

Several thoughts go through her head and she doesn't know what to think but her body goes on autopilot and she drags the man inside her bathroom where she's sure there aren't any microphones planted by that bastard Obadiah Stane, locks the door, and tries to calm the fear in her heart.

 _He's going to die. This stalker, whoever he is. They've seen him. The Hydra goons outside. I know they're keeping watch over me. They've seen him. He's going to die._

 _Unless he's from Hydra too. Working for Stane? That would explain how I can't catch his sneaking around._

A different terror grips her.

 _But I don't know him. Still, a lecherous man possibly from Hydra, and I just locked myself in the bathroom with him…_

He slams his right hand against the door, trapping her. Instantly, she gets herself together. After all, nothing can be worse than Obie and his shadow Rumlow. She turns and looks at him straight in the eye.

She plainly states, "You have no business being here." At the back of her mind, she's praying her tone is as flat as she usually uses. She can't really hear herself over her heartbeat.

"Then why did you call me?"

"Stalker, nobody called you." She's starting to relax, and she's not so sure if that's good. He raises his brow at her reply though, but she cuts him off before he can say anything. "Look, if you work for Stane, you have absolutely no business being here. I wasn't informed of a guard, and there is zero need for one. Not here."

The look of utter confusion in his face scares her; she doesn't want more dead bodies on her conscience.

 _Stane?_ Tony thinks, _what does she know about Obie and Stark Industries?_

"If you don't understand anything about what I just said, please just leave. And pray, if you're religious. You're going to need it if you want to live through this night alive. I'm not someone you should have wanted to talk to."

Their gazes lock, and she hopes her silent plea reaches him. Her senses are fine, and she didn't feel a chill from him. He must be innocent. As innocent as a stalker like him can be, she corrects herself, but she wouldn't wish the rage of Obadiah Stane and Hydra on anybody.

"Stalker, please leave. And just so you know, you're not winning any hearts, trapping me like this."

He scoffs at her obvious attempt to make him stop staring at her, and he hates to admit it, but it works because he couldn't help but break his observance to roll his eyes.

"Pepper spray, you must have summoned me using the candle." He starts to explain himself, "Or the cake. Happy birthday by the way."

Her eyes twitch a little and her brows rise, and she hates herself a little for sounding so ineloquent but all she can manage to say is, "Excuse me?"

"Am I wrong?" The dark haired man retorts staring at her.

Since he asked in a tone that clearly expressed that he didn't think he is, she narrows her eyes and answers acerbically, "Yes, because I didn't summon you here."

"I like feisty women, like you, Pepper." He smiles and then, almost preaching, he recites, "'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. There, Sherlock Holmes, for you.'"

"And the impossible is?"

"That I'm a stalker." He deadpans.

She struggles not to sigh. "I'd say it's highly likely you are one. Don't worry, you're not the first one."

Surprisingly for her, he looks very confident, and he challenges her, "Then, I'll prove it. I'll leave right now and you go and blow out that candle again."

This time, she laughs, and says, "Right, please do, off you go." When she remembers where they are though, she suddenly doesn't feel so entertained anymore. "But don't go through the front door. I'd say you have better chances leaving here through the fire exit. Or however it is you managed to slip in anyway. I won't ask: it's better that way."

Something grips him. Maybe it's the way her voice suddenly turns steely, or maybe it was how, in the short span he's seen her, she can look completely cut off that he knows he is here for a reason. Or maybe because it's been a while since he's actually enjoyed talking to someone.

Either way, he likes seeing her surprised, rather than having that empty look on her face. He leans forward, closer to her, just to get under her skin, really, and it works spectacularly, with her raising her brows at him, blue eyes seething with emotions, lips looking as if it'd permanently be in a scowl. She steps back, just a little since she's still trapped between the door and him, and she crosses her arms tighter to hug her body.

He whispers in her ear, "I'm going now, then."

In one swift, graceful motion, she fetches the small gun she's been taught to always carry and hide, pulls the safety off and points the barrel straight to the stalker's chest. "One more of your antics, and I'll willingly send you to your death. I'm playing nice right now, but do get it in your head that I can kill you. I'm not a helpless little girl."

 _Death, huh_ , he thinks. _I wish._ He backs off. He raises his hands in surrender, but not forgetting to reiterate his point, "Try blowing out the candle, though. And you'll know I'm right."

Her pointed stare makes it clear she is not amused. He's a bit uneasy, he doesn't want to scare her. "Again, I'm not a stalker. And you're not my type, sorry."

"That's very convincing coming from a trespasser who seems to enjoy close proximity with me."

"You're the one who dragged me here."

"I'm beginning to wish I hadn't and just let you die out there."

"I doubt anything outside can kill me."

"That's because you don't know what you just got yourself into."

"Regardless, I doubt I can be so easily killed. You do realize I was summoned here. By you. And if you're a normal person that makes me what?"

"A delusional stalker."

"Seriously? We're on this again?"

"Yes, so leave already."

"You know what, yes, I'm leaving and don't you dare close your eyes within these five seconds." He's exasperated. And he doesn't want to admit he's only leaving now because she's talking to him again. Before she blinks though, he does leave…

He just disappeared.

Into thin air.

On Virginia Pott's birthday, she thinks she might have just gone crazy. For starters, she's beginning to call herself Pepper in her mind, the nickname that Stalker gave her. Wouldn't be so illogical to think so. After all she's been kidnapped and forced to work in a hidden lab developing a biological weapon for a terrorist organization no one even knows exists: Hydra. They killed her parents before her own eyes, that bastard Obadiah Stane. And now they just kidnapped her best friend, Natasha, a spy of SHIELD, a rival agency, who tried to save her. And they never let Virginia see her again. They let her know Natasha is still alive and she will stay that way for as long as she complies, developing that drug they want. Virginia's a scientist. She prides herself for approaching problems and curiosities logically and methodically. However irrational the situation is, she is certain she can adapt and make sense of it.

But is it possible she has lost her mind? She witnessed a man disappear in front of her eyes. Her family has no history of mental instability as far as she knows, though she guesses anyone would break given her circumstances. But she has never shown any sign of insanity. Or maybe she has been desensitized to madness given her environment?

 _Calm down, Pepper, panic never did anyone any good. Breathe in, breathe out._

Okay, acknowledge that insanity is a possibility. Best to think of other possibilities.

She remembers the cake and the candle and she automatically rejects the thought that the man that just disappeared was summoned by her birthday wish.

But really, she can't think of any other option. It's either she's crazy or he's right. She doesn't know which one she prefers.

She gathers her bearings and gets out of her bathroom. She sits, looking dazedly at the table all the while. She idly thinks, _maybe I should make him wait 'til I summon him again._

She hates that she thinks he's right. So smug and handsome and…

He might as well wait for a few hours before she tries it again. He did irritate her after all. Maybe that will teach him not to mess with her.

Okay, this feels weird, she thinks. She thinks she's accepting this too easily, and it makes her feel off-balance, recognizing that she's suddenly making way for the entrance of a person into her life. Teach him not to mess with her? Because he'll have opportunities to do so? Hydra won't allow for this kind of daydream.

It's her birthday, though, so she shakes it off, and makes herself believe she'll be blowing that candle later for science. She proceeds to try to not think of anything for the next few hours.

* * *

Tony Stark has been trying to wire together this engine for quite some time now. The blueprint stares mockingly at him. He started trying to focus into his work when he grew tired of pacing back and forth in his workshop, followed around by Dum-E and You, which he did when he decided to think that he's right and he's going to get summoned by that red headed girl with the fiery blue eyes at any moment now. Looks stupid when he waits for 30 minutes and that woman, Pepper, didn't summon him.

Or maybe she couldn't? She did say she wasn't calling him there. And how does she even do it? Is she, perhaps…

...Or maybe something happened to her? There was an undercurrent of fear in her about everything, except for a moment then. Seems like she's heavily guarded if even her living room isn't safe.

She mentioned a secret organisation and surveillance. She's either a very important member, or a very important hostage. Given her gun training, it's more likely she's part of it. But…

Either way, a highly valuable asset of a sinister-sounding group which seemingly kills threats on sight.

Perhaps he's been disinterested in the world for too long. For him not to notice trouble brewing in his own city… Maybe he's been too self-absorbed? Or is this terrorist organisation not as big and threatening as she had made it sound? The gravity of her stare, the firmness of her grip on the gun against his chest, pointer finger on the trigger, safety off—

It's late and he idly thinks that he should have just gone back to whatever party his father figure, Obadiah Stane, forced him to attend. Obie… He said he hosted it in order to give him a break from his self imposed hermitry. Well, that certainly happened today, no thanks to the party. Tony sincerely hoped no one had been watching him when he disappeared out of the blue. Twice. Why would this Pepper spray girl mention him, Stane?

 _Wretched woman, why don't you just blow the damn candle already so I can stop messing this thing up, change and sleep?! I need answers, damn it!_

* * *

It's been weeks now, since Tony Stark had seen the red headed woman, and he likes to think the encounter was a boredom-induced fever dream.

He thinks to himself he could try to find her, but he doesn't _want_ to. After all, the cafeteria where they first met is also one he goes to. His visits there have been especially frequent the past few weeks, not because he wants to see her, of course, but because he really missed their excellent coffee, he reasons to himself.

He could try to find where she lives, but when the thought so much as crosses his mind, he hears her call him "Stalker" in such an annoying lilt that a scowl automatically shows itself on his face. It's not because he can't deduce where she lives when her curtains were all closed and all she mentioned was there was a fire exit.

Not that he asked JARVIS to find her. JARVIS is trying anyway, but there's not much information he can work with to begin with. Okay, he gives up, he _did_ ask JARVIS to find her but not because he's worried. Only to know if she really did try summoning him and failed, in which case, he was wrong. And knowing when one is wrong is of utmost importance!

So, the woman and their meeting was a boredom-induced fever dream.

Finally getting up and leaving the cafeteria where all his current troubles started, he resolves to go home and forget about it for the seventh time that day. His hand approaches the door…

And suddenly he's face-to-face with the bright blue-eyed woman he has not been searching for. At all. Nope.

He would have laughed at how hard he's trying to deny everything, but the moment their eyes met, the flash of surprise on her face, (that really isn't that cute, he tells himself), was wiped from his mind when she started crying and laughing in this awful, broken way. She's gripping the just blown candle like a lifeline, smoke quickly clearing and he can't look away.

He doesn't know how long it takes, but she calms down.

"You're right," she finally says, "I blow a candle, and you'll appear."

He realises he doesn't really care that he's right. "Admitting that made you cry that much?"

She ignores him. Instead, she asks, "So, who are you?"

"I'll answer if you tell me what happened."

"Care to be more specific?"

"Why didn't you call me right away that night? Why the hell are you crying? And," he looks around him, "Why are we in a lab of some sorts?"

"You sound like such a smartass…"

"Because I am. Smart, I mean. I'm a genius." He clarifies mater of factly. "Certified. I think I can help you…"

"Ugh, shut up."

"If I do, you won't get the answers you want. Uh? Feisty Pepper, don't be difficult. Is this lab inside the lair of that secret organisa—"

She visibly shivers, and abruptly says, "Leave. Now."

"You called me here."

"And now I'm telling you to leave."

"Don't be stupid, something's obviously happened to you."

"And something worse is about to happen." She opens her drawer and gets a solitary pill from a case and pockets it. She continues, "Leave now, before they see you… or can they? Are you a ghost?"

"Yes, other people can see me. So what if they see me?"

"I'm supposed to be alone," she chuckles darkly.

"I doubt they can do anything to me."

"Leave."

"Okay, but this time promise me you'll call immediately after whatever it is."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

"Seriously?"

"No."

"Pepper, please…"

She looks dead straight into his big brown eyes, "Goodbye, Stalker."

"Whatever, see you in a bit, red headed, stubborn, blue-eyed woman!"

A small smile breaks on her face, and he thinks maybe he should call her names more often if that's what happens when he does. Because her being silent is preferable to her acerbic replies, of course, not because of anything else.

Oh right, her name, not Pepper, her REAL name what is it?

Just as Tony was about to ask her, she turns around to face the door, arms crossed, hands clutching her lab coat and, the door unlocks with a beep.

"Potts."

A dark gravelly voice was the last thing he heard before he left. A sad, helpless feeling that he should have just taken her with him and left there together lingers inside his heart.

* * *

 _She promised me. Pepper._ It's been days and he hasn't seen her. Deja vu.

 _Except this time, she promised me._

It's raining hard outside in New York. He's depressed, as much as he wants to deny it. He's been wanting to deny so many things since he met her, and he's tired. He knows he should have just grabbed her and left. He's been amusing himself with the idea that she'll start calling him "Kidnapper" instead of only "Stalker" but then his mind wonders if she really did get kidnapped by that man with the dark voice that called her "Potts". Then he gets depressed all over again.

JARVIS found nothing on "Potts" Just a family. Dad, mom, two daughters who died 5 years ago in an accidental fire of their house. Can't be her. She's alive.

No records. No leads. No tracks. Nothing.

How do you find a woman that doesn't exist?

He, Tony Stark, the man cursed by the gods with immortality and powers he did not want. Powers that can grant immense wealth, decimate a city, and even affect life, but are apparently not enough to locate a single human.

He, the man cursed to watch people pass with time, forced to live as discreetly and under the radar as he can. With as few attachments as he can. But he goes and associates with that woman, that strange girl who can call him with a candle.

And he loses her, like he has lost many others, but in record time.

Days like these, when his everyday numbness makes way for several lifetimes worth of self-hate and hopelessness, the blue arc, the seal of his curse, throbs painfully in his chest. But he cannot die. He cannot die. Even when he tried. Until he finds his Soulmate, who can free him from his curse of a life. Until his Soulmate can take out the blue arc reactor impaled on his chest, which only him and his Soulmate can see.

If only he could find his Soulmate… The one he has been searching for all these centuries… Tony Stark doubts he even can find that woman called Potts.

For someone so powerful, it has been a long while since he felt so helpless. He laughs bitterly at the irony of all this.

Dark clouds loom even heavier, and lightning strikes in the distance.

His self-loathing worsens the weather. Another power he doesn't want. A curse. What his eternal life has become.

He hears Rhodey's footsteps, and he can already imagine him knocking and begging Tony to stop moping. He shouts, "I know, I know! I'll get myself together and stop making it rain."

His best friend and roomate, James Rhodes replies, to his surprise, "Ah, no, Tony, it's not that. There's a girl that's collapsed outside our gate! I took her in but she's burning up..." His voice is trailing as he goes in different rooms and rummages through drawers.

Tony feels a tug in his heart. Somehow, it feels like he's responsible for this girl he doesn't even know. Is it his conscience berating him for making it rain and rendering a girl helpless under the torrential rain?

He gets up and leaves his room. He follows the sound of his best friend's hectic footsteps and reaches the room where the girl is.

"Ah, Tony, we've run out of fever medicine, so I'll be leaving in a bit to buy more. Do you have anything you'd like for me to pick up on the way? ...Tony?"

Tony is frozen in place, staring at the shivering, unconscious girl laid on the bed in front of him.

The spitting image of Pepper. Except a kid. Her younger sister?

Rhodey's voice reaches him, and he snaps back from his thoughts. "Tony? Do you know her?"

"...No." He continues to stare. "...But she looks like that woman."

"You mean, the woman we can't find any traces of? That not even JARVIS can find?"

"Yes, Potts. That one."

"But Tony, I thought we were talking about a young woman, you said she looked around 25 years old… Not…"

"Not a kid, yes, but she really looks like her. She's either a relative or… This is all just a coincidence and I'm going crazy." He turns to his best friend, "Either way, I can't get any answers from an unconscious kid. I'll watch over her until you come back."

James agrees, and leaves. Tony sits down in the chair next to the bed where she lays. Outside, the relentless rain settles into a light drizzle.

She doesn't wake up until the next day.

* * *

A little girl opens her eyes to a foreign ceiling, and suddenly feels how different the bed she's lying in feels. Then it hits her, she ran away. She ran away and she's alive. She wonders if she's lucky… Is surviving better than dying when her world is empty, her own self stained black, blood in her hands indistinguishable from her victims, her own and her best friend's… _Natasha._ They killed her and Rumlow was back to end the job and kill her too. That's why she took the pill, her own invention, the venom. But instead of killing her…

No shivers… Looks like she's safe from Hydra for now, she thinks, but best to be careful. She takes in the rest of the room, and, when her gaze finally rests to her left, her eyes widen, and she doesn't know what to feel.

"Good morning."

She doesn't say anything. She stares at the young man by her bedside, voice caught in her throat.

He reaches towards her. She flinches, but his movements are quick, his touch light. The man's hand is big against her small forehead. "Your fever's gone down."

Of all the questions in her mind, she asks, "Are you my guardian angel?"

Tony Stark isn't the type to be so touchy, but such an innocent question from a little girl makes him ruffle her hair and chuckle. "Why do you think so?"

She sits up, carefully, and he assists her. She reaches towards him so he leans closer to the bed, and then, she places her hand on his cheek. He's confused as hell but she looks like she's concentrating, thinking, and it looks adorable, so he stays still.

She pinches him. Hard. "Ow!"

Not minding him, she asks, "If so, then why can I touch you? Am I the only one that can?"

He'd be angry if he wasn't so amused. Rubbing his cheek, he denies, "I'm not an angel."

"Then what are you? How did you find me?"

"You collapsed in front of my home."

The girl's eyes widen a bit, her eyebrows raised in surprise. In a second, she lowers her eyes, not quite seeing anything, her tiny right hand poised on her chin and cheek in what Tony assumes is her thinking pose. She doesn't say anything for a while.

He prods, "Do you have anyone we can contact?"

She doesn't respond.

"Perhaps, your mother? Father? Sister?"

On his last word, he catches a glimpse of emotion in her eyes, gone quickly like many of her reactions.

She looks at him and says, "They're all dead."

Rain pours, and in a moment, loud thunder breaks their gazes. She looks away, turning instead to the window, and continues, "I have no one left."

This rouses the frozen Tony Stark. He wasn't… isn't called a genius for no reason. The young woman could be this kid's aunt or niece or be completely unrelated... No matter how improbable. Finding Potts isn't impossible after all.

"No other relatives?" He asks, almost with bated breath, almost wishing she'd remember one, Pepper, Potts, remember her...

"None..."

The little girl watches as the rain worsens into a deluge, big splatters on the window blurring the view outside. As bleak as her future from hereon, she thinks. But at least it's not black.

She feels empty.

The rain lets up a bit.

"Don't worry." He says, breaking the silence. She almost forgot he was there. She turns to him.

"Don't worry." He continues. "I'll find her."

Eyes resolute, he gazes at her with a conviction she wishes she had. Confused at his words, though, she asks, "Her?"

"Ah, a relative. Unless I confirm it myself, it's too early to judge it as true."

He's strangely adamant about finding her relatives. Almost a bit desperate. "If I don't know about them, I doubt they'd know about me."

"But just finding them would be good, no?"

 _Is he trying to get rid of me?_ "I'm a burden. I understand." _I would have appreciated a straightforward comment, honestly._

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant!" Visibly frazzled, he slams his hands on the bed when scratching his head for answers didn't work. She scoots just a bit farther from the edge where he's acting up, clutching the blankets closer to her. "But we'll find her, I'm sure."

"Okay, Stalker, whatever you say..." She'll have to go soon. Can't have all the Hydra agents discovering this place and whoever… Whatever… This man is.

"Mmhmm. Don't worry okay? ...Wait." He freezes up. "What did you just call me?"

And it suddenly dawns on her why this Stalker is so insistent on finding her relatives. And why he isn't asking anything about what happened since they last met. He doesn't recognize her. She looks at herself. Small legs and hands. He doesn't recognize her because she turned into a kid. The venom worked. But it didn't kill her… It turned her into a kid.

She laughs, hard.

"Stalker? Did you just call me Stalker?" He's completely bewildered now, she can only imagine what his face would look like if she told him what really happened.

Should she lie? Tell the truth? Would he even believe her if she did?

"Yes, Stalker."

Tentatively, he asks, "Did you… Did your older sister tell you to call me that?"

"No, she would never. My sister... I only ever had a best friend left. Her name…" She sobs a little. "Her name was Natasha Romanoff, she worked for SHIELD, was undercover on Hydra… The organisation… She tried to… Tried to help me get out there. She's dead."

"I'm so sorry for your loss." He adds, worried. He's burning with questions.

"Is it because... Your sister or your best friend called me that?"

 _Does he think I'm… That my woman self is my best friend or my sister?_ She laughs harder. Nat was red headed too after all.

"Hey, kid!" Tony calls exasperated.

Speaking between giggles, she answers him, "No. No, she doesn't. She couldn't. She died so long ago… My sister… And for Natasha… She never knew about you. I never told her."

"Eh?"

Virginia Potts decides she can tell him. Not that he'd believe her. Or anyone would believe him if he tells it. "You're my Stalker. I'm the woman you were stalking. Except now I'm a kid. So you'd be charged with even more crimes if you continue stalking me, uncle."

"Eh? Then you're… Eh? It can't be!" Tony's eyes widen. "Thats's not a believable explanation"

"Yes, Stalker. You see, I'm a brilliant scientist. They kidnapped me when I was 20 years old, fresh from MIT. I always was a genius in bioengineering. That bastard, their leader Obadiah Stane, set fire to the house with my parents and younger sister inside. They covered the story, for everyone else, I died there too. With my family. I've been developing a new venom for Hydra for the past 5 years. It's a new biological weapon that could kill one man or even thousands, instantly, without leaving a trace. Fast, strong, lethal. My studies were on Trial Phase 0, never proved in humans. All my lab rats died. I thought… When they said they'd killed Natasha, that traitorous snake, and that I was next… I thought it would be better if I killed myself with my creation. Don't give them the pleasure of killing me. You know? Next thing I know, I'm here, in your house, Stalker."

Tony's in shock now. Did she just say Obadiah Stane… His Obie is the boss of those murderers? What the hell? His mind is racing now, did he fund that Hydra organisation with the money " _Stark Industries_ " provides? Is he indirectly causing all the pain Pepper has been enduring for years? He has to do something.

"Look, do you have a name, Pepper?" He finally can say.

"Virginia," the little girl says, "Virginia Potts." She smiles. "And yours, Stalker?"

He breathes hard and finally says.

"Tony, Tony Stark." He extends his hand towards hers.

She frozes in the spot.

"From _Stark Industries_?" He nods in a silent yes. She then yells, "You are the Source, Stalker! Oh my God. I can't believe it. That bastard Stane… You didn't know… Did you?"

"What?" He pulled back his extended hand and closed both of his hands in a fist. Hard.

"Stane always said you were, "THE SOURCE" all the power of Hydra came from your inventions and the money too. You have been making all the money for him during all those years. His criminal organisation, Hydra. You've been funding it. Unwillingly and unknowingly, sure. He always prided himself to say you were distracted, you would never suspect a thing…" Virginia stopped talking as Tony's hard expression upset her as his knuckles were turning white.

His rage owerhelms him, he can't believe it. Obie had been like a father to him for such long time… And all these years he'd been murdering people, running a secret mob gang behind his back? Why? What the hell? Now he finally understood all that encouraging from Stane, to make Tony drink and party all the time. "No need for you to be there." He'd said over and over again when he tried to go to meetings with their clients, try to sell some new idea to the board... _Now everything makes sense,_ Tony thinks. He'd always had to keep a low profile because of his condition. And Stane took advantage of him. It's all so clear now. Pepper is shaking, looking at him with those wide blue eyes. She's gone through so much already. He believes her. Has to do something for her.

"I'll help you end him." He finally said. "Stane, that traitor. That bastard. He said he was my friend. I trusted him with my company, my inventions… And he's being doing this… Behind my back? He's evil. We'll stop him. We'll end Hydra. I promise you, Potts."

His determination impressed Virginia. Her face was soft with a tiny smile, she took his big hands in hers and looked straight into his brown eyes.

"It's a promise, Stalker. We'll take him and his organisation down. But first I'll need you to help me reverse the effects of my drug. I need my adult body back. Yeah, let's start with a lab. Do you think you could get me one?"

Tony smiled. Of course he could do that. He had lots of labs at his disposal. Engineering and reverse engineering. That was his field. And with Pepper being brilliant in hers… That he could do. He could help her get her body back. It could only take some weeks for two brilliant brains like theirs working together in one of his best labs. "Yes." He only said.

"And what the hell, you do cosplay even indoors? In your own home? Stalker, uh Tony… I don't know if you're good or bad, or what you actually are, but you're certainly weird."

"Cosplay? What is it now, Pepper or, Virginia? Ugh! Why do you think I'm a weirdo doing cosplay in a comic convention? Explain!"

His befuddled face is so comical, it's insane. She laughs. Outside the rain has stopped.

She continues, "Yeah, do you really have to keep that bright blue metal arc stuck in your chest even at home?"

He freezes up. She's confused. Suddenly it isn't so funny anymore.

A flash of light. And roaring thunder.

"What?" He asks her, unsmiling, staring straight into her blue eyes. It makes her nervous. Perhaps she shouldn't have questioned his fashion choices, his quirks…

"Nothing."

"You can see the blue arc in my chest?"

Shouldn't she?

"Pepper, you can see the arc reactor?" He asks, eyes wide with surprise.

She realizes then that she had taken for granted his comforting, familiar presence. He's somehow intimidating. But she had faced worse henchmen, spies and mad scientists in her short life.

"What if I can?" She challenges him.

Another flash of light and deafening thunder.

He cannot die. Even when he tried. Until he finds his Soulmate, who can free him from his curse of a life. Until his Soulmate can take out the blue arc reactor impaled on his chest, which only him and his Soulmate can see.

* * *

 _ **Sixth prompt for Pepperony Week 2018 was Soulmates.**_

 **This story is an AU and it's heavily based in a japanese anime/manga series called _Meitantei Conan_ , by Gosho Aoyama. Pepper's character here is modeled after Shiho Miyano/Ai Haibara ****a young scientist in biochemics,** **and Tony's character is modeled after Shinichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa** **a young detective** **. The Black Organisation is here Hydra. Adapting it to the "Iron Man" world and changing the dynamic of their relationship to fit #Pepperony has been lots of fun. Obviously some magic and fantasy references and other things are invented by me, in order to make the story work.**

 ** _Hope you liked it! :)_**

 ** _A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Rebelmeg, my awesome beta. _****_She helped me a lot._**

 ** _All mistakes in English are mine and only mine. ^^_**


	7. Lifetime

_**The characters belong to Marvel/Disney (I wish I owned them) a**_ _ **nd I don't get any profit from this writing.**_

 ** _(Epilogue for Candlelight but you can read it as a standalone as well)_**

* * *

 **LIFETIME**

* * *

Virginia Potts slowly woke up feeling safe and warm, like every morning nowadays. The soft light of the sun filtering through the windows of her new home urged her to start a new day. Sunlight is good, feels nice, means he feels happy. She slowly opens her eyes and finds her favourite chocolate brown ones staring back at her.

"Good morning, Pepper." Tony, her favourite Stalker, greeted her, a big smile on his face.

She slowly propped herself up and caressed his cheek softly.

"Good morning, my love." Still a little sleepy she carefully touched her own arms and legs, then.

Sometimes she still couldn't believe she had her 26 year old body back. But she did. Had been herself for six months, now. Both their genius minds combined did the trick, and soon it would be a year since they hunted Stane down and brought Hydra to justice. Pepper can still feel the wash of relief burning through her veins at remembering the moment when she pushed the button and fried that bastard inside _Stark Industries_ , Tony's company. It was a mess. But they disappeared from the place before the police could find out what happened. And no one had suspected them since then. It was a perfect job, of course, because together, she and Tony, were unstoppable forces of nature. It was as if they were destined to be partners. Certainly they were soulmates and although she was a scientist and didn't believe in magic, destiny and all that shit, she had to acknowledge the fact that her fiancé had some kind of fantastic device inside his chest, and said thing bestowed him with immortality and the ability to change weather. Take that, rational mind.

As Tony had promised her, _Stark Industries_ was completely under their control now, and they had stopped developing weapons and funding dark projects of mad scientist and unreliable bussiness partners. They were starting from scratch, looking for new opportunities. The future was entirely for them to shape, together.

It was a miracle they had found each other. She never got tired of staring at him, her handsome Tony, her beloved soulmate, who she rarely called Stalker anymore, instead he always called her Pepper as sweet revenge. Virginia kind of preferred him calling her by her special nickname. Felt sweet and unique to them.

Since the day she woke up in his house, they never left each other's side. They've been together as a couple for six months, now, and their future looks brighter than ever if it wasn't for that little detail… The one thing they spend lots of time discussing.

"Today's the day." Tony whispered softly into her ear.

Pepper looked at his chest, the familiar blue light of the arc reactor glowing back at her.

"Are you sure, Tony? You know very well it doesn't bother me at all, and I'm the only one who can see it. Why would you give your immortality up? You could live forever!"

"Trust me, Pepper I've already lived more than forever. And it's not worth it. We've already talked about this. Seeing all your loved ones die. One after the other. I just want to enjoy this last life, truly feel like is the only one I have, like any other person put on this earth. I want to grow old with you, and then, when it's my time to go, just die in peace with you at my side."

"Oh Tony… You need to understand. Your curse protects you. You can't die. What if I take your reactor out and somehow you go outside and some car runs over you and kills you in the street. What about me, huh? I'll feel so guilty. Besides… What if I hurt you? What if it doesn't work?"

He took her hands in his, caressing the back of them softly, even now, all grown up again in her own body, her hands felt so small in his. He stared into her fiery blue eyes.

"Don't be upset. It will work. You're my Soulmate. In fact you are the only one who can do it. I've waited for you the entirety of my immortal life. It wasn't easy. I had already lost hope. But finally you ran into my life by surprise, and here you are. You already know that, Pep."

"Still, it feels dangerous Tony! After all we've been through. I can't lose you! Don't you understand?"

Of course he does. She's felt so desperate and alone for all her life. Living in fear, trying to run. Just like him. But she's been luckier. Tony looks like a 26 year old, but he's lived for thousands of years, and that kind of loneliness can destroy your soul. He smiles sadly at her, the weather instantly changing into dark clouds and raging wind. He feels sad and defeated and she hates to make him feel like that.

"But you are the only one who can see it. And you are the only one who can take it out of my chest. You are the one, Pepper. The chosen one, if you like… If you don't do it, I would never get rid of it… You are my only chance, my love…"

The sky is completely dark now, and it has started to rain hard. Thunder and lightning in the distance. She knows she can't do this to him, to condemn him to this miserable life would be worse than death. The wizard that did this to him has already made him pay for his past mistakes. She loves him too much for her own good and even his, maybe. Virginia is only sure that she can't let him down like that.

"Okay… I'll do it." She softly whispers, agreeing to his petition.

Tony instantly brightens up, rain stopping and clouds begining to let the sunlight go through them.

"It happens today." He pleads. "I'm not marrying you tomorrow, Miss Potts, with this godawful thing still inside of my chest."

"Yeah. Okay. I already said I'll do it, Tony. It's a promise. Now, come here and kiss me. I'm starving for your touch."

"You always are, naughty girl…" He smiles, and kisses her passionately.

The afternoon finds the brilliant scientist and the immortal genius in their favourite lab. It's located inside their mansion, on the lower floor. They love to work together there, reshaping the future. But today, Pepper feels uneasy, trying to feel brave about what she's gonna do.

"How are you? Are you okay? Your vitals look stable." She stares at the monitor screen in total concentration.

Her fiancé is lying on a gurney, eyes bright. Looks confident and ready.

"We haven't even started yet, Pepper. Please, come here, give me your hand." She obeys him. "See? They are small. I already told you it's totally safe. You need to shove your hand inside of my chest okay?"

"Okay." She softly agrees. She's scared but she's gonna do this, for him. She starts lifting her hand towards his chest and takes a deep breath. _You can do this, Pepper._ She tries to calm herself. _Come on, for your Stalker._

"Uh… Feels kinda weird, Tony. Are you sure of this?"

"It's not weird, come on. And yes, Honey."

"Okay. Let's go. I'm going to try. Ready?

"Always."

She carefully guides her hand inside his naked chest. It just gives in. Nothing happens, he doesn't even move. A beam of blue light covers her right hand, feels warm.

"Can you feel it?"

"No. I don't feel anything. You can go on, Pep."

"Okay okay…" She sighs and braces herself. Her hand goes deeper inside his chest. There's nothing more she can touch there, except for the arc reactor with the blue light. Must be a magic thing. Virginia huffs, she weirdly hates the fact that magic is real and is mocking her in the face right fucking now. She can touch it, feels smooth and cold, metallic. Can even round it all with her hand.

"Pep? Say something? Can you grab it?" Tony awaits for her response. He's not feeling her hand. Nothing.

"Yeah, yeah sorry. I'm gonna…" She stops herself, still willing to give him one last opportunity to keep his gift, even if he calls it a curse. "Tony, this is it. I'm gonna pull it out of your body. Are you sure you want to give up your immortality?"

 _For me?_ She was gonna add. _A woman with such a dark past and so many trust issues_? But she bites her lower lip hard and keeps all those grim thoughts for herself.

"Pep, look at me." He pleads. She does. "I'm sure. I love you. Get it out."

She does, for him. She pulls from the arc reactor, the piece easily giving in. She doesn't even need to force it. The reactor lets itself be gently removed by her trembling hand, and when it finally leaves Tony's body some thunder sound can be heard, and lightning glows far away, in the mountains.

He's free. Totally free. The curse is over. He can feel it in his bones, he feels totally human again.

"Are you okay?" Virginia asks, the reactor vanishing into thin air the moment it was outside of his body. She's looking at her palm, astonished. There's nothing there anymore. It's like the arc never existed.

"Yes. It's just I… I feel so good Pep, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Like I can do anything I want. Go whenever I want. I'm free and all because of you, my love, my Soulmate. I love you so much, Pepper."

"And I love you too, Tony."

Relief whashes over her. She can finally let go of the air she was holding in her lungs. She hasn't lost him. He's alive, he's okay and they'll soon be married.

She throws herself at him and hugs her beloved Stalker tightly, not wanting to let him go, ever. He seems to be able to read her mind, it seems.

"Tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, Pepper. I can't wait to start our new future together as husband and wife."

Virginia Potts only nods in a silent yes. She'll always have Tony. From now on, she would never feel alone anymore. And that's enough for her. They kiss under the cold white light of the lab, the nice breeze of the summer night permeating through the window.

* * *

 _ **Seventh prompt for Pepperony Week 2018 was College AU. **_

**_Okay, I couldn't let Pepper and Tony like that in their Soulmate AU story. I wanted to show an epilogue of sorts that followed them becoming a couple. So yes, I twisted it a little to fit the prompt, but I think as they are young adults starting a new life, it kinda fits as "College au". And it's an AU after all. lol xD_**

 ** _Hope you liked it! :) THANK YOU SO MUCH to all the people that enjoyed my fics and to all the awesome people in the fandom that contributed in making this Pepperony Week 2018 so special. It's been a blast! THANK YOU ALL! ^^_**

 ** _A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Rebelmeg, my awesome beta. _****_She helped me a lot._**

 ** _All mistakes in English are mine and only mine. ^^_**


End file.
